


Anxious Heart

by SailorStarDust1



Series: True Desire Made Clear [1]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Canon - Original Game, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Drama, F/M, Friendship/Love, Gen, Love Triangles - Zerith & Clerith, Missing Scene, Puppet Cloud Strife, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 16:09:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17206598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorStarDust1/pseuds/SailorStarDust1
Summary: Various “missing scene” snapshots throughout the party’s journey.





	1. Midgar

**Author's Note:**

> FF7 was my favorite RPG since I was a kid, so I have tons of feelings I wanted to get out “on paper”. Given the context, you could say this is a prequel to my **Respite** fic. (Despite my concerns, I'm excited for Remake so I needed some outlet for it)
> 
> This was inspired by various things (my own thoughts, doujinshi, unused concepts/dialogue, Ultimania quotes (TheLifestream dot Net's an excellent fan resource)), so hopefully this is an interesting read(　＾∇＾)
> 
> Like **Respite** , this ignores the Compilation project in favor of sticking to the original game. I haven’t read much FF7 fic, so I have no idea if the “missing scene” concept has been done to death. Kudos and Comments are always appreciated! Please enjoy❤️

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While running errands one rainy Midgar day, Tifa encounters a familiar face.

It wasn’t the inky darkness of her surroundings nor the stifling air that bothered her. She could survive bizarre surroundings just fine, her occasional travels through the rougher parts of the Slums were proof enough. It was  _Sensei_ ’s teachings that ensured her survival all these years, despite faint remembrances of his voice, proud whispers of farewell, before she awoke in a Midgar hospital days later. On the nightstand, the parting gift of a generous amount of Gil, enclosed in a brand new wallet. She was a country girl at heart; the Mayor’s daughter in fact, beginning in a new life in the big city. It sounded almost romantic, looking at it from that angle.

Yes, perhaps everything had been a long dream. A horrible nightmare.

The intense heat of the flames, screams from the helplessly slaughtered townspeople, ensured her sad reality.

He was a kind, cheerful, guy. Maybe she shouldn’t have blamed Zack back then, emotionally unleashing all her hatred and anger. He’d only been doing his job as Soldier, as utterly unaware as a civilian like Tifa was that his commanding officer was going to…

Tifa bit her lip. Hopefully the mansion had been long reduced to ashes, burned alongside the rest of her past. Whatever dark Shinra secrets held within, had been the impetus for Sephiroth’s madness. And certainly her father, equally unaware, wasn’t to blame, either.

…Sephiroth…She could never forgive Shinra for allowing her peaceful town to go up in flames, but ultimately…Well. It was for the best that the (Shinra owned) papers reported him as KIA.

For her blood, occasionally boiling in vengeance, only recently began to calm.

“Is that so?”

Tifa’s her heart leapt in her throat, the only explanation for her sudden inability to breathe.

His shoulders, his whole body, faintly bathed in wisps of green energy, wracked in silent laughter. Sudden coolness pressed against her skin, more precisely, the blade of his Masamune precariously pressing against her jugular. Tifa’s demeanor remained calm. Stay collected, with no emotional vulnerabilities when confronting the enemy. The less power they had over you, the better. One of the first rules Zangan- _sensei_ greatly emphasized.

The dangerous man’s catlike eyes glittered from amusement, his breath hot against her ear. His bloodied blade, ever so slowly, released its pressure on her neck, reapplied atop her belly.

The scar  _he_ caused. An ugly, physical, reminder of the past when her promised hero simply wasn’t a little late, but never even arrived to save herself and Zack.

“Why do you think I kept you alive?”

Without moving his head, Sephiroth’s eyes flickered towards a battered young man—his clothes torn, collapsed in a bloody heap—before her. Unable to see his face, that distinctive mess of spiky blonde hair told her everything.

Sephiroth’s maniacal laughter drowned out Tifa’s horrified screams.

* * *

It was her own screaming that startled Tifa wide awake.

Long brown hair, damp from sweat, clung to still trembling skin. Her wide red eyes fell to her stomach, fingers lightly tracing the ends of that deep scar. If just now had been a dream, why did it feel so real…? After all, the local papers claimed that man was killed in action 5 years ago—whether they could be taken as gospel truth was another thing entirely.

_I have a fresh start to expose the truth however I can. I’ll find some way to make right the painful things that Shinra swept under the rug._

That reminder motivated Tifa in her daily life. She owed it to her father, to the other townspeople, and to Zack—whatever fate befell him—at least that much.

She let out a breath, focusing on her mental checklist for the upcoming day to take her mind off things. The bar needed some supplies, and an Avalanche meeting wasn’t scheduled in their hideout until later that week.

Occasional stormy weather from the past week persisted into last night and that morning. Just another rainy day. But, bad December weather wouldn’t dampen her spirits. Bringing joy to weary slum patrons with good food and drink…She had a tangible, immediate, way to offer others happiness.

She clasped a simple gold locket, long faded with age, across her neck. Pajamas folded atop her tidy bed, Tifa began gathering the clothes strewn tiredly on the floor after last night’s shift. She could never afford to forget the past…Not that she wanted it to haunt her any longer.

* * *

“I know what I’m gonna do. I got a place I can crash for a while…No wait, the mother lives there, too…Guess that’s out…”

With a scratch of his head, the young man began cheerfully exchanging ideas with (some would call it pestering) the driver. After making his decision, he turned to Cloud with renewed purpose, grinning ear to ear.

“…We’re friends, right? Mercenaries, Cloud. That’s what you an’ me are gonna be. Understand, Cloud?”

The faded yellow paint of the truck and bright sunlight against blue, cloudless, skies. Gathering storm clouds in the distance barely registered. But they were so far away, what did it matter?

It was  _that smile_ , a kind expression in those sky-blue eyes, tinted slightly with green…

Those calm eyes—caring eyes eternally the same color as the September sky—which offered reassurance that everything would be alright.

“Ngh…aaah?”

Fresh grass filled his senses due to a slight breeze. Heavy rock formations flat against his trembling back. His breath beginning to still at the realization.

Attempts at coherent words wouldn’t surface, nor feebly reaching for the other man’s arm—after an affectionate head pat—his own fingers met with air…No.

He disappeared into that blinding sunlight, leaving Cloud helplessly alone.

No. Not with the approaching storm. A sudden gunshot, three Soldiers, and a cry of pain—not his.

“…Ah…ughhhh…”

…Loneliness…His own twitching form, a silent vow about not forgetting, blood—not his—and rain mixed against his skin. Thunderclouds looming above.

No.

Aimlessly wandering through the grass freshly coated in dew, with sword in hand. Mud-caked military boots, quivering legs. In the distance: a glowing and looming, bustling metropolitan.

* * *

The massive blade against his back was heavy. That burden in his heart, moreso.

That kind voice, that gentle smile… ~~Za—Who~~

 **Don’t fight it.** Flowing silver hair, barely obscuring the point of light from a glowing pink eye.

“…Ahh…”

 **Don’t fight it.** Preparation for Reunion. A new voice had entered his subconscious in these isolated months.

~~Who~~

**Don’t fight it.** After all, who would feel comfortable assisting a sickly, muttering, man aimlessly wandering throughout the Slums? Even the train station attendant—his weary eyes having seen many sorrows and encounters throughout years of service—and his faithful guard dog kept their distance.

~~_Why?_ ~~

Bloodied and shivering in muddied wet clothes, an occasional piercing whistle nearby. ~~The~~ His Buster Sword against his back. Achingly sore legs. How many months had passed? To have been aimlessly wandering like this, alone.

“Ooouugh…” Always alone. Best to embrace it.

 **There, now. Isn’t that better?** Catlike green eyes narrowed…as if continuing to live within the heat of those flames…

A faint smirk fell across his lips. Soothing “memories” of another? That internal voice was _always_ there to remind him: any “past” was nothing but a polite fiction. Humans wouldn’t _dare_ interact with a lab-created freak, after all.

Against the train station lamp post, his body began silently convulsing.

 **Come to me, Cloud.** That glowing pink eye, pale skin, exposed brain matter.

“…Ahh…?”

**That’s a good boy. Your mother is waiting for you.**

_Her glowing eye wrong wrong wrong not_ his _mother not_

“Are you alright?”

Warm fingertips pressed against a torn shoulder pad. ~~_His_ SOLDIER 1st Class uniform.~~ Hazy, Mako-tinted eyes lingered on red full of warmth and concern.

Familiarity.

Home.

Nibelheim.

“—Oh, Cloud!”

Shaky legs. He gradually stood.

“Uh…Uh…Tifa? That’s right. I’m Cloud.”

Rather than painful reminiscence of days gone by, she couldn’t help but address immediate concerns.

Cloud looked seriously ill.

In the midst of their conversation, she briefly turned away. Pondering.

Why did he think five years passed? What happened? Why was  _that_ sword in his hand?

His replies and demeanor…Something was seriously wrong.

“…It’s been a really long time.”

Shifting the bag of groceries hanging off her arm, Tifa adjusted the umbrella in her other hand.

All she could do was offer Cloud a bit of shelter from the relentless storm.

* * *

“I thought…I heard your voice.”

“Hm?”

Tifa lifted her head while restocking 7th Heaven’s fridge with weekly supplies. The shop was closed that night, the only two souls in the bar lightly chatting above muffled sitcom laughter from the overhead CRT. Cloud idly—nervously?—drummed his fingers against the bar in between sips of frothy beer, condensation dripping down the sides of the mug.

“Nothing.” His eyes dropped to the amber liquid, in quiet captivation. “Thanks for the drink. So what are you doing in Midgar, of all places?”

“……” She couldn’t bring herself to ask about the fire. Other than brief hearsay on the world news mentioning a quiet village’s troubles quenched with thanks to Shinra’s best, it was impossible for Cloud to know, but…the sword currently leaning against the bar within Cloud’s easy reach. _His_ sword.

Why couldn’t the anxiety within her heart be quelled?

Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she offered a tiny smile. “That’s actually an interesting story. I started out as a waitress here. The old man who used to run 7th Heaven died, so I ended up inheriting the bar because I needed a change of pace from Nibel—”

“A change of pace?” Cloud’s brows furrowed. Those intense, green-tinted eyes, locking sent a chill down her spine. “Tifa. Five years ago, Nibelheim was—”

“…” Hesitation in her reply, simply reiterating those internal confusions. Yet Tifa was no doctor, and living in the Slums didn’t exactly provide people the best mental health care options.

“You’re right. It’s been a really long time since then…I’m sorry.”

He looked up from his drink. But not before Tifa caught his (overall) relaxed sips, silently admiring that tuft of blonde at the base of his neck. “What about?”

“I forgot to offer you a shower. You must be tired after travelling so far.” Her cheerful smile hid the prior vocalized slip up while continuing, “My room’s at the end of hallway in the upstairs loft. You’re welcome to my spare room if you need a place to stay.”

“It’s appreciated.” A slight nod. “My recent line up’sbeen pretty taxing. I could use some rest.”

“So, mercenary work?” She busied those alternating back and forth thoughts by wiping the counter top sparking clean. Perhaps obsessively so. “It suits you.”

“I guess.” Another sip. “What were you whispering about, when we walked in?”

With hardened eyes and white knuckles gripping the cloth, Tifa vehemently spat, “I’m part of an anti-Shinra group. We meet in the basement below. If you’re interested in another job, I can work something out regarding payment with our leader.”

Leaning back in his bar stool, Cloud crossed his arms. “Given the deaths caused by Mako reactor explosions worldwide, I don’t think most civilians hold much favor for them. Still, a resistance group? That sounds a little…”

 _That’s exactly what Shinra sweeps under the rug, Cloud. Besides the small towns affected, how would anyone other than 1st Class and higher ups hear those mudslinging rumors? If you made 1st Class back then, why didn’t I see you? Zack mentioned it was a small, elite, group. So where_ were _you?_

She shook her head, the prior bright smile returning to her face, nodding towards the stairs behind the bar display. No need to make him worry any further. “I’ll explain later. For now, why don’t you enjoy a hot shower? I need to finish cleaning up, anyway.”

Cloud’s eyes seemed to linger on Tifa’s own. Giving a slight start, she offered, “What’s up? Something on my face?”

A tiny smile while shaking his head. It was good to see her again, after so many years apart. And if her slightly muscular build was any indication, she _easily_ dealt with any drunks causing trouble when running 7th Heaven alone. Though, he’d be more than happy to assist kicking them to the curb.

“Thanks again, Tif.”

Cloud waved goodbye, Buster Sword on his back, ascending the narrow staircase. Face growing red, Tifa thanked the stars his back was turned. She allowed herself to exhale once his steps and a steady water stream echoed from the upstairs bathroom.

Life was about to become _especially_ interesting in the next few days.

* * *

~~_Why didn’t you visit, back then? It was a great chance for you two to see each other again._ ~~

Cloud paused in the movements of furiously scrubbing shampoo from fingertips into scalp, water droplets sliding down his blonde locks and aching body. No evident bruises, although the blood and dirt washing down the drain left him especially confused.

He couldn’t remember being a part of any scuffles before entering Midgar. And just how long _had_ he been wandering the city, for that matter? He was in-between jobs, naturally, but...

“…What the hell did I get into…?”

Strangely enough, he couldn’t recall arriving in Midgar. At all. Onlookers within the large city, the hustle and bustle from various shops, customers, and poverty-stricken folk...Everything was a hazy blur until he heard Tifa’s voice.

~~_Are you sure you’ve been as busy as you think?_ ~~

He shook his head while speaking out loud. A clear, youthful-sounding, voice— _protesting_ to be heard—simply couldn’t reach him.

“No good. It’s been too long of a day to clearly remember.” A mumble. Honest defeat.

Admitting something like that...No, he couldn’t let his childhood friend worry. It wouldn’t be fair, given her own affairs she was wrapped up in. Soon enough, he’d be out of her hair and Tifa could continue living her own life. Worry-free. After all, there were plenty of business opportunities to be had in the big city.

Seeing Tifa again…He had truly missed her. She grew up to become honestly…pretty, and incredibly kindhearted. It simply _wouldn’t_ be fair to Tifa to unload his emotional baggage. Not after her taking him in, offering a roof over his head and a warm meal.

Maybe he’d repay her by taking on that job as hired help, after all. It was the least he could do in thanks.

* * *

Hands on her hips, Tifa took a step back, admiring the handiwork of her freshly clean bar. It sounded as if the shower was still in use. A high monthly water bill was a small price to pay if it left Cloud mentally refreshed—and without (somewhat off putting) dried blood on his face.

Lingering cigarette and vomit stains might’ve been an occasional pain to properly scrub away, but she insisted on 7th Heaven maintaining an air of class despite its impoverished location. Her guests deserved to feel as comfortable as possible when unwinding from their daily troubles.

The swinging doors to her bar opening, Tifa replied without looking up. “We’re closed for the da—...!”

“Hmm, that’s a shame, yeah? I could use a stiff drink after lon’ day’s work.” Words slurred, he stumbled ever so slightly with loose footwork while approaching one of the empty stools.

Huffing, Tifa immediately blocked the red ponytailed man’s path. Calmly making eye contact, regarding his somewhat expensive-looking suit, replying without fear.

“We’re busy restocking tonight. Please leave!”

Glancing to and fro, the man spun on his heels, stumbling and laughing before tripping over a stray chair. He otherwise silently exited, making no indication of feeling those daggers Tifa dangerously glared into his back.

Rude was already awaiting further instructions in a nearby alley, listening to his ear piece. Sighing, Reno—annoyed and quite sober—pressed the autodial connecting to Tseng’s number. He reclined against the bricks before the voice on the other end inquired about the situation.

“Boss, ain’t nobody there tonight. We couldn’t sniff anything out. We’ll make our usual rounds for you at that Slum church tomorrow, yeah?”

Rude glanced at his watch despite his habit of wearing sunglasses in the dark. Patiently waiting for the conversation to end, he offered his longtime partner, “We’ll be off the clock soon.”

Reno spat into the ground. “Let’s find us a _real_ bar somewhere on the upper plate. We ain’t gettin’ paid enough for this kinda surveillance work.”

* * *

Walking downstairs from the loft one leg at a time was Cloud, towel drying his hair. He wore laundry-fresh lounge pants and boxers generously provided from the neighbors (Johnny was somewhat disturbed by Tifa’s abrupt request, but gladly helped in any way he could).

“Was that a drunk patron?” Tifa’s deep frown left him somewhat unsettled. Things looked like they took a serious turn in his brief absence.

What a relief that Barret didn’t pick tonight to talk strategy downstairs! “…No…”

Still, if the Turks decided to mess with Avalanche, there _would_ be hell to pay. Matters to be dealt with at a later place and time, she decided.

“Are you still hungry? I could make some coffee if—” Forcing to stay cheerful for the both of them, Tifa turned to face him...With unsettled feelings flaring up in full force.

A deep, faded, scar—as if caused by a blade—against Cloud’s chest.

Similar to her own.

She began playing with the locket hanging off her neck, fingers desperately needing a concrete tactile sensation of _her_ past. That brief flicker of anger and malice in Cloud’s eyes—narrowed, green, disturbingly familiar—certainly had to have been her own imagination, no?

Resisting the urge to invade his personal space and reach out, instead, her quivering voice managed, “Um…Th—that’s…?”

“Mh?” Cloud blinked, looking down. “Oh, this?” He glanced upward at the ceiling, tapping his foot. Why didn’t something so _crucial_ immediately return to his mental forefront?

“It’s……An old battle injury.”

She nodded. Sitting on a bar stool with a glass of liquor in hand, she quickly fixed herself a drink while Cloud replied.

“Being a member of Soldier didn’t come easy, huh?” She took careful sips before speaking, liquor against her lips.

Cloud’s expression became puzzled at the bitterness in her voice. That intense anger befell her beautiful face once more. “No, it was…pretty grueling. But if you don’t mind, a coffee sounds great. There’s something I’d like to work on.”

Seeing his slightly hurt expression, she immediately regretted that biting remark. Would one of her specialty brewed coffees work as an apology?

* * *

An hour later, she was about to knock on his door to say goodnight. Tomorrow would be a long day with opening the bar back up again. Surprised to see his door slightly open, Tifa silently took in the scene before her.

The Buster Sword was free of blood once again, restored to its former glory. Eyes shut tightly in concentration, the slightly rusted blade was reverently held close to his face. As if locked in prayer, he stilled for an entire minute, never wavering from silent meditation.

Tifa’s arms crossed while quietly observing, wondering if it was best to interrupt him and exchange pleasantries before bed? Cloud seemingly made that decision on his own, gently resting the weapon near the foot of his bed before offering Tifa a warm smile.

“That locket you’re wearing…Is it a photo of your parents?” Despite his earlier coffee, his voice was slightly rough, in need of a good night’s sleep.

She offered a faint smile in response. “Something like that.”

The locket wasn’t heart-shaped, leaving Cloud to assume the photo couldn't have been of someone as deep as a sweetheart. He was honestly curious who it was of, but...not his business to pry. Maybe someday, it would be another interesting story for them to share together.

“Sorry if these beds aren’t the most comfortable. The mattresses are over ten years old, but I haven’t found the time or money to get them replaced.”, she began. “Maybe someday I’ll run an inn to _really_ class this bar up. What do you think?”

He chuckled. “A bed and breakfast _would_ draw in plenty of customers.” If she continued offering her warm companionship like this, then at least for their foreseeable future, just maybe he could overcome that strange mental fog he found himself in. Overwork—too much of it—was the most likely cause.

Refreshing, to see him cut loose after such a mentally exhausting day. The subject of sleep brought about her own amused smile—Avalanche huddling together in the basement hideout after their strategy meetings always made for funny camaraderie, what with Barrett's snoring or little Marlene staying close to his side.

“You’ve had a long trip back. Rest well, Cloud.”

All she could do, for the time being, was hide any concerns behind her honest smile.

* * *

A woman in pink lifted her eyes towards bright morning sunlight, dust particles filtering down this decrepit place of rest. Her church in the Slums wasn't much, but at least the flowers here grew beautifully. She ignored the ponytailed man making his rounds by keeping surveillance. Instead, she continued wishing for a taste of adventure—of freedom. To see the blue sky  _he_  once promised her, inbetween his increasingly busy missions. Even during good weather like this morning, the clear December sky was blocked due to the upper plate above.

Cheeks puffed, some air escaped Aerith's lips, frustrated about promises not kept. He probably found someone new. In his line of work with constant worldwide travel and dangerous battles, maybe things between them _weren't_ as meaningful as she had thought.

After all, it wasn't as if there was a brutal battle and Zack had.........Certainly, Tseng would've told her. She wasn't a little girl who needed protection from the truth. She could handle it. Those occasional bouts of waking up in tears were just internal anxieties taking hold. Certainly _not_ the truth.

Faint whispers entered the corner of her mind, but she couldn't make out their individual voices. Slum life was simply too noisy to clearly hear the Lifestream.

With another sigh, Aerith adjusted her dress and knelt in front of the center garden, beginning to weed the flowers suffering from overgrowth.


	2. Kalm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reflections and worries in the small town of Kalm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter follows the assumption of Aerith in denial. Her 30th Anniversary Exhibition monologue and this _Ultimania Omega_ quote from page 29 while the party visits Gongaga ("Even though it appears she’s gotten rid of these thoughts, she gives off the image of considerable grief that the Zack from those days is now gone.") seriously struck me that way.

In the span of one afternoon to evening, a gradual darkening sky above was still an adjustment. Cool winds during their short trek from Midgar to Kalm resulted in Aerith drawing the short jacket closer to her skin, protecting herself from the elements. Wind and rain—even occasional snow—were weather patterns that didn’t catch her off guard, but to see vast, open, sky above—no longer that harsh, unfriendly, metal of the plates above the slums…

It was freeing. Liberating. Despite the fact their small group was, in truth, following Cloud—Red (understandably) agreed to travel with them as far as his hometown—everyone besides Aerith had varying degrees of revenge in their hearts. She couldn’t help innocently embrace her first taste of the great outdoors.

They may have been some distance from Midgar, but she couldn’t hear her beloved Planet any clearer. Being only half-Ancient (in the church—her real mother’s—brief whispers during youth), maybe it was a skill that required developing, with time.

Deeply breathing in crisp air, and admiring those grassy fields and wildflowers yet untouched by Midgar’s pollution, she resisted the urge to pick any. Maybe when they had more than a moment’s rest, she could make flower crowns for herself and Tifa. She always had a knack for that, wryly smiling at her mental image of even Cloud wearing one.

Presently, Aerith stretched her limbs, enjoying the warmth of her fluffy bed. She missed mama, given the inn’s small comfort, but she knew they’d see each other again. Once their mission was all over.

Elmyra simply would’ve worried herself sick about Aerith agreeing to travel with Cloud.

Let her mother and little Marlene stay as safe and comfortable as they could in the Slums. Given all her years knowing him, she trusted Tseng. He wouldn’t allow any harm to come to them.

She couldn’t help but muse how tomorrow would certainly be the true start of their long journey. Herself, Tifa, and Cloud remained at the inn to rest soundly that night. Breaking out from Shinra headquarters _had_ taken its toll. After everyone ate dinner together, Red and Barret had no problems in taking the lead, heading towards the Chocobo farm in the east.

Red concurred it was wise to travel in this two-group system for the foreseeable future. On Barret’s end, he brushed off the townspeople’s rumors. Something about a quick-witted thief lurking in Junon’s woods. The reinvented Avalanche would tackle any problems head on.

Cloud stepped outside after dinner, chatting with the locals to gather intel on those _other_ set of rumors. A serious black cloaked man, long blade at his side, merely ignoring those townsfolk foolish enough to warn him of various dangers ahead.

 _…Cloud._ Aerith was absolutely intrigued by him, in her two days of meeting him. His taking her bodyguard suggestion seriously enough to rescue her from Shinra _immediately_ warmed her heart considerably, despite the mercenary's occasional cold behavior.

Aerith bit her lip while losing herself in her thoughts.

If Tifa’s nervous habits were anything to go by— brushing a strand of hair away and fidgeting slightly while Cloud recounted events of the Nibelheim fire—then something must’ve been seriously wrong. Still, she had no interest in prying. Any mysteries surrounding the story would have to be solved once they confronted Sephiroth.

Zack embraced his 1st Class rank with the utmost honor it deserved, but even _he_ had no problem cutting loose when visiting Aerith’s church, laughing and holding her close among the brightly colored, sweet smelling, flowers.

She ignored that familiar ache in her heart. The brief sinking in her stomach. Five years was a long time. Zack’s running off to be with some other girl...It shouldn’t bother her anymore.

Cloud... _was_ the same rank, wasn’t he? The flower girl shook her head, having difficulty understanding. So couldn’t he be more, well, _fun_ despite the seriousness of their abrupt adventure? That nearby chocobo farm meant they could play with the goodnatured creatures, Aerith thought, realizing she never saw one up close before. They must’ve been _so_ soft and fluffy to the touch!

Maybe she could even get chocobo head himself to lighten up a little, and go play?

Giggling, Aerith just waved towards that eyebrow raised in her direction. She nearly forgot Tifa was quietly relaxing atop the next bed over.

Tifa offered a smile, failing miserably at holding back a small bout of laughter. “What is it?” Aerith’s cheer was certainly infectious.

Until now, the pair weren’t afforded moments to leisurely chat, but the former bartender couldn’t help take an almost immediate liking to that mysterious flower girl. She had been the one kind enough to insist on rescuing Tifa during her investigation of Don Corneo. Not to forget, healing their wounded—now long gone—friends in Sector 7. Aerith was definitely a trustworthy and kindhearted friend in their travels. Whatever might’ve been brewing between her and Cloud...

It wasn’t Tifa’s business, honestly. In that jail cell, she couldn’t help huff in jealousy when Aerith mentioned something about a promised date—but whatever. Tifa had to be more careful in letting her emotions blind her like that, given more important things at hand. Like finding Sephiroth—if that man gone mad had _truly_ survived what he started in Nibelheim.

“I’m pretty excited to be out of Midgar, you know?”

“...Mmh.” Tifa’s eyes cast downward, absentmindedly playing with the chain across her neck. Evidently in her own world, she unfastened her locket to stare—puzzled—at the photo within. She wordlessly muttered something Aerith couldn’t quite hear.

Neither, in recent years, had something like a close female friend. Most living in Sector 5 considered Aerith a strange one, given her bizarre abilities to heal the sick. Tifa, meanwhile, had been busy playing undercover hostess to Avalanche. With little time to socialize, Jessie was the only one who had come close to a like-minded female friend.

Lightly pushing herself off the bed, Aerith couldn’t help but smile. Mischievously glancing at the photo, she was curious if there was a steamy love triangle of Tifa’s own? Perhaps an old flame who survived Nibelheim? Just like something out of a soap opera!

That...photo...It couldn’t be. _Why?_

Tifa’s sad expression, deeply lost in thought ever since Cloud’s story, meant she failed to take notice of her newfound friend’s reaction.

“...Zack.”

At Aerith’s heartbroken voice, Tifa finally perked up, her inner trance lifted. She turned to question Aerith out of complete surprise, but that visibly shaken and pale girl was already running down the stairs, leaving the inn with great haste. “Oh, Aerith! What’s wrong?”

A walk through beautiful, grassy, star-filled, fields. To clear her head, and maybe even strain to hear the Planet’s whispers. She would offer a silent prayer—ignoring the lingering dread in her gut, flaring up anew—that Zack was still out there.

Alive.

* * *

Tifa’s locket photo taken before the Mount Nibel expedition—Zack, herself, and Sephiroth—returned to its rightful place hanging across her neck. The only reminder she had to their true past—apparently an important item after Cloud’s confusingly inaccurate story.

She shook her head, calmly descending the steps one at a time, not wanting the innkeeper to wrongly assume she and Aerith had some kind of fight. Shinra might’ve been keeping tabs. The less attention drawn to Avalanche, the better.

“I’ll be back soon.”, she offered with a nod and a smile, the innkeeper returning pleasantries before Tifa ventured out into the crisp, early December, air. It was a blessing they weren’t further up north, in the snowy fields. Here, their regular clothes would do just fine.

What Tifa ultimately needed was fresh air, squinting to take notice of the sprinting Aerith thankfully safe and sound in the distance. Letting out a breath, her eyes narrowed at sudden scuffling footsteps. _Where…?_

Her swift punch connected with somebody’s jaw, that person otherwise still loitered in the dark alleyways, to her right.

“Son of a bitch!”

A bandaged Reno walked out, the harsh lamp post above illuminating his annoyed features. “You busted me up once already. Why not cool it a little, yeah?”

Readying herself in a fighting stance, her icy glare would strike fear through any other opponent. If only this wasn’t a member of the Turks she was dealing with. “But...Sector 7...”

“Part of the job, sis.” He clicked his tongue, stun rod balanced precariously as usual against his (bandaged) shoulder. He almost name dropped Elena before catching himself, hoping the new recruit would do her job—and well.

“In case you’ve forgotten, your happy little group ain’t exactly saints, yeah?”

“....” Tifa’s gaze softened, to be replaced with deep shame. Ever since Sector 7’s destruction, she was mixed up inside. Unable to articulate her thoughts to a then-puzzled Barret.

“...That’s something I’ve felt guilty about for some time, now.” Her eyes shut. “All those killed in the reactor explosions _we_ caused.”

“See my point?” Reno snorted before adjusting his head bandage. “Avalanche ain’t any better than us when it comes to lives lost. So get off your high horse and face reality.”

“Shut up.” Her voice lacked any bite to it. “If you’re looking for Aerith…”

Shrugging through painful wincing on his part. Her punch really sent him for a loop. “She ain’t the company’s priority right now.” A pause before he glared, slinking back into the inky darkness, with night as his cover.

Any long-held, private, feelings he happened to share with Tseng towards the Ancient...it didn’t matter. Not when his mission came first. And certainly not after the true, internal, reports of Zack Fair’s death began surfacing 3 months back.

“Just watch yourselves, yeah.”

Tifa could only shake her head at Reno’s abrupt threat and disappearance, stretching wide to untense her body—let the idiot stare, if that’s how he got his kicks—vaguely thankful a fight was prevented.

But she couldn’t exactly call this deep unease some kind of  ‘happiness’, slowly and aimlessly walking through the hushed town before Kalm’s water tower caught her gaze.

She blinked, then squinted, in pure disbelief at the sight before her.

“What the _hell_ is he doing...?”

Cloud sat atop, staring off into the starry night, apparently far enough up that he wasn’t aware of anyone’s surging emotions  below.

With an internal shrug, she began her climb up the ladder.

* * *

She approached cautiously, given the uncertainty that maybe he was losing himself. Again.

“Hey.” Cloud offered a slight wave, collected.

She gave a start, making herself comfortable next to him with her head cocked to the side. “...Uh?”

“I’m just...Well.” Immediately, he scratched the back of his head. “It’s silly, don’t worry about it.”

Hard to explain. Thinking she understood, their distant childhood memories deep in her own heart, Tifa smiled warmly. “Chilly night, hm?” She gazed toward those twinkling stars above.

“A little.” His own gaze fell from the starlight to Tifa, unaware he held it. “......” It was a comfortable silence, and Tifa either didn’t notice nor comment on Cloud’s calm staring, but.

But, he had to discuss the matter at hand. “Now that we’re all on the same page, I hope finding Sephiroth will come easy. Shinra are after him too, so we have to stay cautious.”

“Y-yeah.”

Tifa knew why those sudden tears came so easily. If she didn’t have her locket on hand—had it crashed and burned within the Sector 7 slums—how long would it have taken to realize what exactly Zack meant to Aerith?

“...Tifa?”

Startling for entirely different reasons, she shook her head while subtly drying her eyes. “Mh?”

A hug. Cloud wasn’t sure what was on her mind, but...it was the least he could do for his old friend. Probably his best friend, if he really thought deeply about things.

“I don’t like seeing you down.”

Face flushing, Tifa lost herself in his warmth, her head finding a place against his shoulder. How silly of her to worry. So what if Cloud wasn’t 100% there, if his story didn’t match with reality? He was here with her—with all of them— _right now_. She was grateful that he couldn’t see her utterly content expression, before she caught herself.

_Any resident walking outside could probably see you two!_

“Ah...let’s get to bed, okay, Cloud? We have a long day tomorrow!” Still red, Tifa immediately untangled herself from her best friend—honestly, the only person she had left—before climbing down to wait for him at the foot of the tower. If anybody got the wrong idea, she wouldn’t know what to do!

Scratching his head once more, Cloud shrugged before following down. Tif was absolutely right—their journey from here on out _would_ be a tough one.


	3. From Junon’s cargo ship to Costa del Sol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regrouping and relaxation under the tropical sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 22 years, FFVII❤️

“How are you holding up?”

Waiting for the cargo ship to dock, Cloud—in his Soldier 1st Class uniform—took to ducking within the cargo hold underneath the stairs. The surviving sailors were preparing to dock. Any grisly Shinra aftermath would be cleaned up later. Rufus and Heidegger were nowhere to be found once they left the bridge—their absence spoke volumes, regarding the dead.

He managed a smile at Aerith, who still wore her sailor uniform as cover. “Fine enough, considering.”

Red and Tifa, having joined Cloud’s battle, were investigating the engine room once Cloud brought Yuffie verbally up to speed on their journey so far.

“Once I’m back home, will you return to assist Fort Condor?” Still on edge, Red’s tail swished to and fro slowly. The stench of the victims irritated his nose.

Climbing the engine room ladder to the upper floor grating, Tifa nodded after a thoughtful moment. Analyzing this five year ‘reunion’ with Sephiroth...could wait.

“Eventually, yes. I think…Those protection efforts are what modern Avalanche should represent.”

Barret stood near the engine room, attempting to look inconspicuous while adjusting his sailor suit. He couldn’t wait for them to reach land and give his new look a once-over.

“You can count on it.”

Jessie and the others—Sector 7 as a whole—wouldn’t have died in vain. Barret would personally see to it. Rising above his anger at Shinra was an internal daily meditation. Difficult to refocus on, when a mere sheet of protective glass separated himself and Rufus’ smug face minutes prior.

Tired air about him, Barret climbed the upper decks above to meet up with one nauseous Yuffie. Any philosophical musings were Red’s forte. Let him stay as the muscle. It was Cloud’s skinny ass that insisted on continuing to play leader.

For his part, Cloud wouldn’t overthink Sephiroth’s lack of recognition. The man’s narrowed green eyes flashed in a lapse of confusion. Name suddenly ringing a bell within the depths of his mind, he punched Cloud’s midsection before taking flight, apparition-like, through the ceiling.

Jenova’s bloodied tentacle arm lay after the battle, constantly twitching. Pulsating. Cloud, momentarily transfixed, had reached out, resulting in the gray arm dissolving through that very floor Sephiroth rose from.

The details didn’t matter. Stopping _him_ , however, did.

He shook his head before Yuffie’s puzzled inquires since Tifa and Red were equally unable to decipher Sephiroth’s cryptic message about “the time arriving”.

 _Settling the score...Yeah..._ ~~_Yuffie’s nausea..._ ~~ _That was…_ ~~_Sounds familiar, somehow..._ ~~

Hands clasped behind her back, Aerith playfully leaned towards him. “Hel~lo?”

“Go join the others upstairs before we dock, Aerith.” He closed his eyes. “I’m just thinking.”

One hand holding the railing, the flower girl cast him a quiet, concerned, glance before disappearing above to the saltwater sprayed deck.

That vast sky was waiting for them.

Cloud let out his tense breath. Mental tension regarding Sephiroth was an understandable given, but...what was this sense of deep unease?

* * *

Costa del Sol, at least, was a tropical paradise. With an endless bright blue sky and refreshing waves, the party’s spirits lifted despite bearing witness to prior senseless carnage.

The smell of suntan lotion and cool sand. Salty ocean waves and much laughter.

In mutual agreement to rest for a few hours before continuing their long journey, they went their separate ways in the resort town. Whether it was Yuffie making money on the side selling Materia, or Tifa visiting her Sector 7 neighbor Johnny, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Tifa’s comment how Cloud “didn’t need to worry” was confusing, but.

“Yeah,” Johnny huffed in agreement. He was happy here, starting a new life with his lady friend. Someday, he’d work up his courage and pop the question. “So don’t get mad or something.”

Still, even Cloud’s mood lifted in the sunny atmosphere, goodnaturedly ribbing the “bear wearing a marshmallow’s” clothes, and teasing Red with a soccer ball the local kids were kicking around.

Aerith’s plans to catch a suntan—after asking Cloud his preferences—proved futile. She lost herself in thought, hiding away at the inn because of a particular nasty presence on the beach: Hojo. Mentioning Ifalna’s death—seemingly mocking Aerith’s Ancient heritage—was certainly the last straw. Aerith quickly left the scene, alone.

Hojo...What did he mean by “a certain hypothesis”; his curiosities if Cloud felt himself being called somewhere?

It was fine. Details mattered little when Sephiroth would soon be stopped.

The innkeeper playing pool alone cheerfully acknowledged Cloud. “Care to join?”

He shrugged, taking notice of a restless Aerith on the second floor of the split level lodging. Gaze transfixed at the ceiling, she lay on a spare bed.

Cloud frowned. Something about her spacing out felt incredibly...lonely.

“By the way.”, the innkeeper approached the pool table from the other end, hopeful to properly line up his next shot. “That big sailor’s taken over the john!  I just don’t know what to do. He’s a friend of yours, right? Mind paying his share of the bill?”

Cloud scratched the back of his head. “Well, uh…”

“Yo, Cloud!” Barret burst through the bathroom with a huff. “Ain’t it too early to leave?”

“We’re…still deciding where to stay the night.” Laughing off the awkward situation it was.

The innkeeper shrugged at Cloud’s response, instead offering Barret to join him in a game—he seemed to be seriously considering it.

Cloud, for his part, took to silently sitting on a bed opposite Aerith’s.

“Whew…I don’t know why I’m so tired.” She offered a painfully sad smile to the swordsman. “There’s just so many things I don’t understand…I feel a little uneasy.”

Sitting upright and forcing cheer, she met his gaze. “Cloud…? What do you think of me?”

“I dunno…I don’t understand anything.” Which was honestly true enough, given his occasional blackouts and headaches. But...worrying Aerith wouldn’t do any good.

“…You’re right.” She nodded, the plush carpet under her bed suddenly appeared interesting.

“Even I don’t understand myself. I wonder what part of me is like an Ancient?”

“Shit, man!” Barret’s cursing after losing _another_ round didn’t bring a smile to her face. “Whadda say to one more round?” Laughter. “Sure thing. I got all day, friend.”

At least he and the innkeeper were playing a friendly game rather than raising any high stakes!

Aerith gazed at the ceiling again, as if asking the Heavens for an answer. “What is an Ancient supposed to be like? It’s strange, isn’t it? I don’t understand it…Ahh, I’m going around in circles. I wonder if there’s any answer to this. Everything’s so complicated. I’m going to bed.”

She pushed her unlaced boots under the bed, not wanting anybody to bump into them if they woke up at a moment’s notice. If Shinra capriciously found a new use for her abilities, or Sephiroth suddenly broke into their room...they’d need to be prepared.

“Hey, wait up.”

Aerith blinked. “Huh?” Cloud’s sudden outburst wasn’t like him. Was something wrong?

He nodded towards the door of the inn. Relacing her boots, Aerith joined him in the unpolluted fresh air of the bustling resort town.

“Let’s take a walk together.”

“Ah!” She couldn’t help but smile, voice teasing. “Already time for our date~?”

“Not yet.” Dead serious in honoring an otherwise simple promise. Like always.

Aerith laughed. She wanted to hold his hand and offer a squeeze in silent thanks, but...she’d wait.

* * *

The “for sale” sign outside the villa caught Aerith’s eye. It was _supposed_  to be the pair curiously poking their heads in before stopping by the bar for a drink or two, but...

“By the way, are you seriously considering buying?”

The man reclining against the fluffy bed (as he described it) seemed pretty skeptical, but who was he to judge? Appearances were deceiving, after all!

Aerith started laughing into her hand. He _had_ to have been joking. There was no way Cloud would seriously consider, right? Where did he even store away that kind of—

“Who'd ever think someone with some real money would ever come here……I probably shouldn't even ask, but are you  _really_ going to buy it?”

Wordlessly, their leader pulled 300,000 Gil from his wallet while Aerith’s jaw dropped.

“Cloud?! Where did you—?”

“Goodbye, fluffy bed!” Happily pocketing the cold hard cash, the agent skipped out the front door, grinning ear to ear. Drinks at the bar down below were on _him_ tonight!

Unperturbed, Cloud turned to Aerith, serious as ever. “We’ve been doing good with the gear we have, and…we’ll need a place to strategize in the future, right?”

“Hey! You don’t have to explain yourself about having fun once in a while.” She playfully slapped his shoulder, bursting out in laughter from the delayed shock. He actually _bought_ the place, like it was nothing!

Eyebrow quirked and arms crossed, he leaned against a bedroom wall.

“What’s so funny?” Out of politeness, he’d let her get some rest—on a bed that really _did_ appear much more comfortable than what the local inn offered.

“I just…” Her eyes teared up in a fit of laughter. “You doing something so unexpected…!”

Shrugging, Cloud disappeared to explore their basement. The fairer sex could be so...weird, at times. Leaving the manager to snore away at his desk, he helped himself to the items left for the taking. Cloud’s villa...Cloud’s rules.

 _This was kind of cool._ He smiled.

Door upstairs swinging open, a certain someone made her presence loudly known.

“Aer, it’s so cool we get a beach to relax at! He must’ve been in a good mood, huh?”

“That’s a nice Materia haul—Wait.” Her tone grew suspicious. “The shopkeeper offered you those as payment, _right_ , Yuffie?”

* * *

If the resort itself didn’t put someone in a good mood, everyone having plenty of space—and a full night’s rest in their own _personal_ bed—certainly did.

They sat at the table for breakfast, discussing the plan of action from here on out.

“Yuffie, me and Red…We’ll be headin’ to Corel.” Barret stared into his steaming coffee mug with a deeply troubled frown. Yesterday’s ‘playful’ sailor suit had been packed up with the rest of his personal belongings.

Yuffie looked up from her second helping—bacon and eggs cooked to perfection by Tifa. “I don't mind travelling with you and ol’ Red here, but what’s with the long face?”

The creature snorted at Yuffie lightly tapping her foot against his mouth, although he concurred. Humans were such emotionally complex creatures. “Is there something on your mind?”

“Nah…Don’ worry about it.” Swigging the remains of his plain coffee, he noticed the open bathroom door, chuckling at the sight.

Cloud, staring at the crystal clear bathroom mirror, busily fixed the ends of his spiked hair, making faces, and readjusting as needed when he couldn’t get it to look _just_ right.

“Heh! What’re you up to now, spiky?” Unable to contain himself, the older man ruffled Cloud’s messy hair. He’d be fixing it again soon enough, so what did it matter?

“ _Wark_! I mean…cut it out!”, Cloud exclaimed, flustered and huffing, in front of the mirror once more.

Tifa, thankful for Yuffie’s help with the dishes, blinked twice in confusion. She initially wondered when he was going to eat breakfast so they could head out.

But did Cloud seriously just...?

Still, Barret and him getting along these days was a good sign. Whatever strength and camaraderie they could draw from one another was helpful—hard times were definitely around the corner.

Aerith gently  _tsk’ed_ , rearranging Cloud’s messy hair. Zack’s...was longer at the ends, wasn’t it...?

She giggled slightly. Were her ears deceiving her, or did Cloud happily “ _kweh_ ” from the flower girl’s gentle touch?

Barret was still full of grins. “See y’all at the next stop. Tifa, thanks again for cookin’.”

“No problem. We’ll need the energy for the long road ahead.”

“…Yeah.”

Yuffie and Red stepped out, the girl muttering something about expecting lunch _and_ dinner later. Red offered reassurances that things would surely work out.

Tifa impatiently drummed her fingers atop the table, sitting across from Cloud finally eating breakfast. Aerith sat next to the barmaid, quietly sipping her sweetened milk coffee, a curious ear attuned to their current discussion.

“Barret, you know…”

His despondent attitude—whatever was eating at him—just didn’t sit well with her. They only knew one another for a few years, but she _easily_ considered Barret one of her closest friends in recent memory, despite hatred for Shinra bringing them together.

Aerith was incredibly lucky, Tifa felt. She was the only one in their merry band that seemed innocent in all this—regardless of the personal sorrows deep within she hid behind a smile.

Barret shook his head. His problems, his business. “It’s fine.” Did he _really_ have any more right than Dyne did, continuing to hold Marlene?

Just wasn’t right, them getting mixed up in his personal affairs. Waving the issue off with his good hand, he left the three to catch up with the others.

“See ya.”


	4. Gongaga

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secret revelations between two dear friends.

Barret tightly clutched Dyne’s pendant inside a pocket. It was a quiet comfort, a much needed strength in his mentally taxing mindset.

The desert prison wasn’t what gave him the chills. Moreso, how things ended up with Dyne...Just couldn’t help but unsettle him.

Wasn’t there more he could do? The _least_ he could do, for the hometown that (understandably) blamed him for past sins.

“Hey, Cloud, hold up.”

Setting the buggy’s brakes, Cloud glanced at Barret in the passenger’s seat. Aerith managed to squeeze between both in the middle seat, offering Avalanche’s leader a curious glance.

Their group neared a town surrounded by jungle. Even in the distance, a ruined Mako reactor clued the party in on what eventually happened...Another once-quiet town, another story regarding lives tragically cut short due to destructive Mako reactors gone horribly wrong.

“What’s wrong?” The swordsman was honestly confused. They had to hurry on and find out where Sephiroth was headed next. Cloud already had a sinking feeling _where_ exactly the brilliant ex-Soldier would be waiting. With his jaw set tight, Cloud already decided. At their next reunion, _that’s_ when this mess would finally be settled.

Barret shuffled about uncomfortably, needing a moment’s silence to gather his thoughts. “There’s, uh, somethin’ I gotta do. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll catch up to y’all.”

“Hmm, worried about what Shinra did to your town, are ya?” Caith Sith piped up from the back, rather contemplative. “Let me go with you, I’m good at cheerin’ people up!”

Barret couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the cat commanding his moggle to dance about the back row. Yuffie laughed at the utter ridiculousness of the unfolding scene, a snorting Red XIII held in her lap.

Tifa shared his unspoken sentiments. She blew strands of hair away from her face in irritation, staring at a beautiful cloudless sky. Elbow propped up with her chin against palm.

_That town…I…really don’t want to go._

She swallowed, thankful nobody could tell how incredibly fast her heart was racing.

“This car’s...kind of a tight fit for 7 people.”, Cloud agreed. “Maybe we _should_ split up again.”

Aerith couldn’t help herself,  and giggled. “But it’s kind of fun, don’t you think? I mean, we’ve been so busy running around.”

Tifa brightly smiled. “Good luck, Barret. Call us on the PHS if you need a lift.” She offered a thumbs up to her partner-in-crime for emphasis.

Cait commanded another tiny dance before hopping towards the direction of North Corel.

Barret, with hands on the door handle, held back. He seemed to be spacing out, again, his eyes on the damp grass against his boots. _Maybe…this is all just a big mistake? But…I gotta do somethin’. Marlene’ll need a good home to return to someday, away from those damn Shinra._

A sigh. “Right. Sorry about this. Like I said, I’ll catch up soon.”

“Do what you have to.” Cloud shrugged. In truth, he understood. “We all have our reasons for this journey, right?”

“Heh.” A tiny smile crossed the older man’s face. “Never thought I’d hear you say that. Alright then. Later!”

Barret offered a full smile before taking off running to catch up with that strange cat.

“Aerith, do you mind if I sit next to you?” Tifa simply didn’t want to make a fuss over feeling so cramped in the back. It was best to not ruffle any feathers. Or fur, in the case of Red and Cait.

Aerith eagerly pat Barret’s now vacant seat. The more, the merrier!

“Ahh~! _This_ is the life, huh, Red?”

Yuffie began stretching out in the back. Red couldn’t help but happily take cues from his comrade, almost cooing in agreement, fiery tail offering a lazy swish. Extra space to rest his tired paws after wandering through biting desert sands  _was_  rather nice.

“You know what? It’s a shame we didn’t have the Gil for a Gold Saucer lifetime pass.” Aerith shifted the discussion to a lighthearted topic.

Cloud’s buying the villa  _was_  honestly a smart investment for their future. Still, Tifa laughed, “With how busy we are, it’d be a small miracle if we go back to play.”

* * *

Oh, Aerith had been—so incredibly—wrong. Coming here was nothing but a huge mistake.

Her heart was simply breaking before her increasingly wet eyes. White knuckles tightly clutched the pillow in her room, a rental from the local Gongaga inn.

Another held back sob rose to the top of her throat.

_It was three months ago, but I definitely felt it. Where…was he going?!_

No matter how many times she lied through her teeth and turned her back to Cloud, all the denials in the world wouldn’t grant any peace of mind of what she _preferred_ to be the truth...

It didn’t help matters that some of the shopkeepers looked incredibly similar to _him._ They must’ve been relatives, small town that Gongaga was. He’d been an only child.

Aerith carefully read that letter—a look into his past, 7 years ago—addressed to his parents. Another sniffle. His passionate, puppy-like excitement, about joining Soldier and getting a girlfriend...It was so very much  _him_.

She tried steadying her breath, wisdom shared by Tifa, but her trembling body refused to cooperate with pent-up years of deep worry and grief.

A knock on the door.

Aerith immediately stiffened, feebly drying reddened eyes with a knuckle. _Please, not Cloud. I can’t…Not now._

“Hey.” The door locked with a ‘click’ behind Tifa. Keeping her distance with a weak smile, she stood against it with crossed arms.

“Um...This...” The barmaid turned brawler shut her eyes. She steadied her slow breath, through her nose. Relaxation techniques _sensei_ taught her always came in handy in times of crisis.

Aerith immediately frowned at how pale Tifa was, patting her seat the second time that day. “I don’t think crying’s contagious.”, she stupidly joked through another sniffle.

Tifa stiffly sat atop Aerith’s bed, nervously brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Adjusting her dress to sit cross legged, Aerith gently grasped Tifa’s wrist while nodding.

“That gesture, in Kalm. During Cloud’s story? One of my first clues that something was up.”

Tifa tilted her head to the side. “Was I that transparent?” The smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Since I met Cloud, I’ve been wondering: Why does he have Zack’s sword? Is he safe? Should I...ask Cloud again? But, maybe none of that matters anymore.”

Tifa was shaking her head, attempting to occupy one terrifying anxiety after another by...flinging lint off the bed comforter.

Incredibly mundane activities occasionally helped her guilt, shame, and fear.

“I just don’t know anymore. But Aerith, you _can’t_ tell Cloud about the photo. It’s my only proof the past happened like I remember. You’ve seen Cloud’s weird freak outs. Something terrible _will_ happen if—”

A finger silenced Tifa’s further ramblings but Aerith was the furthest from exasperated. She’d almost seem cheerful, if it weren’t for her obvious silent crying moments before.

“ _Relax_ , Tif. I understand.”

Held in the flower girl’s open arms, Tifa’s hair, in soothing motions by Aerith’s nimble fingers, felt so incredibly _good_.

Nothing more needed to be said. Aerith quietly hummed a lullaby she remembered her real mother humming. During those late, dreadful, nights in the Shinra lab jail cells.

Tifa couldn’t allow herself to cry and let everything out the way Aerith would. Not when she had to be the strong one and find a solution to whatever was eating away at _his_ soul. She smiled in bitter thanks that her festering guilt was temporarily silenced, once more.

_Despite these heartbreaks, we have each other. There’s something to be said for that._


	5. En route to Nibelheim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"If only I could've saved her...I was so angry...Angry at myself for my weakness. Ever since then, I felt Tifa blamed me...I got out of control...I'd get into fights not even caring who it was."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not sure if I’ll be able to continue weekly updates, but finishing this fic is my main priority for sure. Ideally, I'd love for my schedule to clear out so I could upload twice in a week. We’ll see! (Oh. A few weeks ago, I fixed continuity errors in the first 3 chapters, so the story overall should read more smoothly, now :) )

Tifa shook her head. She was thankful their buggy was fixed in the span of half a day, but...Seeing Yuffie piled in the back with Cait and the others, she couldn’t help dryly ask: “Cloud, do you mind if I call shotgun?”

He shrugged, giving the car one last look over before they’d continue. “Yeah, no sweat.”

Pity the man who fixed it didn’t accept the 1000 Gil he offered, although kindness from the Cosmo Canyon villagers emphasized the world they’d strive for, had the Shinra Company _not_ had their way for so many decades.

Cloud let out a long sigh. Strange that to think that, these days, he couldn’t offer to _not_ care. Not anymore, with his friends depending on him to set things right.

Maybe, ultimately, these feelings of wanting to defeat Sephiroth were nothing more than self righteousness? Almost a perverse way of defending his Soldier honor.

Barret, in the meantime, found a good way to make the seating arrangements work. It was pointless for them to fret over details with their end goal in clear sight, he felt.

Sighing again, Cloud’s Mako-tinted eyes fell to the wheel of the car.  _Nibelheim, huh? Going back…‘home’ will be tough. We might have to dig through old debris for clues. But…we have to do everything we can._

Seatbelts buckled and car engine gently humming to life, Cloud shook his head. Aerith sat in the middle, between himself and Tifa. She offered a gentle smile. Like always, he found it impossible to not smile in reply, the rocky, bumpy, canyon terrain slowly transforming into patches of green once more.

It wasn’t hard to understand why, in contrast, Tifa’s gaze stayed firm. She silently stared out the window, needing all the mental refocusing she could to make it to their next destination.

“When I was a kid, Dad used to tell me a legend about how everybody has a current flowing within them. ‘Course, it sounded like a fairy tale, so I didn’t give it much thought.”

Thankful for the delicious meal at Cosmo Canyon’s bar, Yuffie laughed.

Aerith nodded in acknowledgement. “The whispers I’d hear in the church...It makes sense now. They would...tell me about the Lifestream, but being a concrete thing? I think I’m beginning to understand the Planet better.”

Nanaki couldn’t help but be in good spirits—full of honest pride—after the truth about Seto, thanks to Grandpa’s intervention. “I can’t wait to continue my journey with you all. There’s so much more of this wide world for me to discover!”

“Then I’ll pat your nose once for every continent we visit! Alright, Nanaki?”

He immediately facefaulted at Aerith’s teasing. _I_ still _haven’t apologized for the commotion at our first meeting…Maybe the guilt is why I allow her childish nose pats? Still, they do come from a place of affection._

“That Bugenhagen feller sure knew his stuff! It’s been so many years since I visited Cosmo Canyon myself, y’know.”

Barret raised an eyebrow at Cait who sat next to him, staying otherwise silent. There was something about the robotic cat that rubbed him the wrong way, but he couldn’t articulate what it was. Maybe it was just fatigue setting in after their time on the road?

* * *

She was truly alone. Watching that gradually darkening sky, Aerith couldn’t help sigh.

As the final Cetra with no family left alive, with _his_ already long returning to the Planet...What could she _do_?

For that matter, what was she _expected_ to do, from here on out? Play the role of savior, since her Planet had no voice to otherwise speak through? It wasn’t exactly a position she’d mind, but she was simply unable to shake off that stirring in her bones.

Hours ago: mocking, faint, laughter from the Lifestream, jolted her wide awake. Sweaty hand rubbing her temple, Aerith caught her shaky breath while sitting upright in bed, in her rented room.

She figured a nap would be wise since Cloud, Nanaki, and Barret were busy investigating Cosmo Canyon’s underground as Bugenhagen played ‘tour guide’, but…

Presently, Aerith shook her head, reassuringly squeezing Tifa’s hand. Full of dread about their upcoming destination, the other woman couldn’t find a smile to return. She opted to squeeze Aerith’s hand back, instead.

_Our next destination, in hopes of finding Sephiroth…Ugh, this mystery’s deepening! Nothing explains why Cloud acts exactly like him and why has the Buster Sword. Why is he totally clueless about another 1st Class named Zack? What the heck’s going on?!_

“I gotta go!”

Aerith blinked, craning her neck to see an annoyed Yuffie anxiously flailing about the backseat. Thank the Planet for these little distractions!

“You for real, girl?” Barret clucked his tongue. “Even Marlene's more tactful than that!”

“Look, it’s not my fault! Tifa death-glared me whenever I eyed her Cosmo Candle! I couldn’t help but drink my weight in cream sodas!”

Aerith laughed while Tifa gestured for Cloud to stop the buggy near a patch of forest, half-smile against her lips. “It’s as strong as one of my drinks, so trust me: They _really_ pack a punch. You’re better off waiting a few years, okay?”

“We should stretch our limbs anyway. Cloud, we’ll have a lot of hiking to do through Mount Nibel soon, right?”

“Yeah.” Finding a clear path to park, he nodded at Aerith. A flustered Yuffie already hopped out of the buggy, running straight for nearby forest.

“Might as well make a pitstop while we still can.”

“.....” Tifa eyed the pair before siently excusing herself to catch up with Yuffie.

The Lifestream. In unlocking a deeper understanding with the Planet, Aerith comprehended that eternal life and death cycle, where all things could be born anew once more. There _had_ been apparent exceptions—strong-willed souls, be they ill-willed or pure-hearted—in maintaining their sense of self.

_“…th…!”_

In a moment of pure clarity, completely in sync with the Lifestream, she heard—?!

“...Aerith?” Cloud waved a hand in front of her face. “You, uh, spaced out.”

“Oh~?” Grinning while blinking away tears, she happily looped her arm around his without a care in the world. “I’m totally fine, don’t worry.”

He remained unconvinced. Arm in arm, they walked the grassy sweet-smelling forest path. Songbirds occasionally tittered quietly as dusk began covering skies above.

“It’ll be dark soon.” A head-scratch before shrugging. “Think we can make it through the mountains?”

She held back bitter laughter at those similar mannerisms. _Again._ Aerith quietly shook her head. “I’m not one to say no to a little night time adventure! It’ll be alright, Cloud.”

“By the way, did you have one of those drinks? They really _were_ as good as Tifa’s.”

“Yeah, pretty good!” Playfully intrigued, she nuzzled closer against his muscular arm. The softness of her cheek tickled his own.

“You think highly of Tifa, don’t you, Cloud?”

“I guess.” He admitted, perplexed over something so obvious. “Being next-door neighbors and childhood friends, we played together since we were practically babies.”

 _Is that really true?_ Aerith bit her lip. _Whenever my eyes catch yours, it’s easy to tell something’s not right. Cloud, I know you care and that_ you’re _here for me. So..._

“Let’s get back to the buggy and wait for the others.”

“Hm?” She gave a start while Cloud gestured to their bodies. So close to each other that he softly breathed in her flower-perfumed hair.

“You’re shivering, right? Let’s go warm up. We can’t afford to get sick right now.”

She immediately held back bubbling laughter, covering her mouth.

_I don’t know what I’ll do if he continues being so dense! Hm, I need to figure out some way to speak with his subconscious. What can I do?_

* * *

She was still uncertain, in her heart.

Would it have been preferable? Her village, her hometown, completely burned to the ground? Or this perfect illusion maintained; a sickening reenactment of something that should have never been?

“To think I slept through those flames...” Vincent’s quiet musings. The former Turk, deeply disturbed by Sephiroth’s madness, seemed especially intrigued—angered?—at mentions of Professor Hojo.

Currently, his pale fingers thumbed through various books in her father’s library, quiet gaze maintaining their focus on the text below. Classic literature, biographies, science fiction, poems. Tifa’s father’s old bedroom, the former Mayor of Nibelheim. Even the kitchen silverware had been miraculously restored to the exact brand and year—kitchenware her mother passed down from grandma.

Through all the houses they investigated, the alleged villagers said nothing, merely raising eyebrows at these intruders.

There were, too, those unsettling residents in black cloaks with numbered tattoos. Seemingly mindless, muttering for Sephiroth. Especially the young, like the former neighborhood kids who’d always play in their upstairs attic.

_Sephiroth, a Reunion, and a calamity from the skies? Experiments in that spooky Shinra basement? None of this makes any sense!_

Tifa shook her head, sitting on the piano bench, lovingly caressing the top of the piano, thinly coated in dust. _Mom’s old piano...was beautifully restored._

Red eyes misty, she wryly smiled, her fingers nimbly gliding atop the ivories.

According to Barret’s questioning the locals, Rocket Town was up ahead—if one was foolish enough to travel on foot through Mount Nibel at night. Active in Midgar for so many years, he was left uncertain what former neighboring towns were up to—more than anything, he breathed a sigh of relief that travelling from Junon to Rocket Town was 3 days total. Naps and quick meals were all their party could afford for the time being.

Anything that let them stay several steps ahead of Shinra’s schemes was welcome. Nobody wanted to rest too long in a ghost town, after all.

If only...pure fun, like an amusement park, would’ve been built in this town. _Without_ the disturbing devastation that Mako Reactors always, in some form, brought about.

“I feel like a kid again.”, Tifa laughed on her gondola ride with Cloud. Before that mess with Dyne, checking out the Gold Saucer with Tifa was honestly fun. As the self-appointed final Ancient's bodyguard, Cloud certainly felt personal responsibility to protect Aerith, but there was a touch of guilt in looking out for the flower girl.

Cloud figured perhaps _that_ was why he’d make a point in offering both girls equal attention. His own feelings...He didn’t even understand _what_ his feelings were, himself.

Was that...normal?

For now...sleep. Cloud was completely passed out on Tifa’s bed.

_The poor guy’s understandably exhausted with all our running around. Actually, how long has it been since Cloud visited my room for tea and cookies? Doing homework together?_

Frowning, Tifa’s eyes shut in concentration. A little rusty, but the mental break was quite welcome. Using her hands for something other than mixing drinks or brawling felt good.

How strange that she simply _couldn’t_ remember the last time Cloud hung out in her room. Then again, most childhood memories were a blur. There was _something_ about being asleep for a week, grieving for mom, and then dad’s stern warnings about that “troublemaker neighbor Cloud”, but…She brushed a strand of hair away.

His getting into fights as a kid probably didn’t help matters.

* * *

“You take that back!”

“Screw you!” The general store owner’s son sniffled through his bloodied nose, death-glaring the blonde. “It’s _your_ fault she got hurt last month! What’re you hitting me for?!”

Wide-eyed and perplexed, Tifa stood within the small circle of chanting kids observing the fight. Neighborhood brawls—Cloud as a frequent participant—were becoming a weekly occurrence in their quiet village. Ever since she fell off that rickety bridge.

A fuzzy memory.

The other boy’s silence gave way to sudden, loud, wails from pain. Cloud sat on the older boy’s bruised back. His own fists aching, he huffed deeply with eyes shut.

Last month’s knee scarring hadn’t fully healed.

With a disheveled ponytail and prominent black eye, by chance he met the utterly stunned gaze of the Mayor’s daughter.

Tifa, his next-door neighbor.

Paralyzed with fear, Cloud nervously spat out, “I just...He was saying that...”

“ _Cloud Strife_! Apologize this instant!”

“Mom! I was only trying to—”

Widowed at too young an age thus the only parental figure in Cloud’s life, Claudia Strauss angrily stormed toward the crowd of children abruptly clearing the way.

She held him by the scruff of his neck during her public scolding, shaking in rage. “Off to bed without supper! _Now_!”

What else could she do?

His lousy attitude problem after that _incident_ with the Mayor’s daughter, getting in fight after fight...What was the key to straightening him up?

Maybe the military? Recently, his ears would perk up when Sephiroth was mentioned in conversation by other adults, but Claudia couldn’t force such a strict decision on him.

Sad eyes focused on Cloud’s back while the children dispersed in boredom. Friends of the injured boy already helped him up, escorting him to his dad’s shop. Once things grew calm, she’d have to apologize about this painfully awkward situation to the family.

Returning to her house for supper—she was cooking Mom’s favorite stew recipe tonight for herself and Dad—Tifa looked back, confused gaze catching Claudia’s fatigued expression.

The young girl was unable to offer any reassurance to a fretting mother.

 _Why_ did her neighbor start acting out like this, anyway? Not all children were as lucky as him, having a mother to come home to, after all.

* * *

“...Re...un...ion...”

“...Cloud?!”

He groggily sat upright, rubbing an eye. In sleep, Tifa’s haunting melody under the moonlight sparked a fuzzy memory.

Something in the depths of his mind, regarding Tifa’s piano? Her mother’s piano.

 _Tifa’s mother._ He blinked in dumb acknowledgement, quietly fascinated by Tifa’s undistracted playing as they held their conversation.

“What’s wrong, Tifa?”

She bit her lip. _Why? Even if there_ is _a Shinra spy in our group, the last thing we need is everyone suspicious about Cloud’s freakouts. He’s not_ that _unstable, is he…?_

In his half-asleep stupor, Cloud’s narrowed _green_ eyes flickered. Pure...Mako...? But yet again, his bizarre trance had ended as quickly as it began.

“It’s nothing, Cloud. Shall we head out?” She debated on closing the piano lid.

It was a welcome time to leave, considering their painfully shattered memories.

He shook his head. “We’re fine on time. I don’t mind listening to you play some more. Did you get enough rest before our hike?”

Tifa beamed. His concern regarding her safety on Mount Nibel was touching, despite her inability—confusion, honestly— to put the pieces together. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

Hefty documented reports fell back on Tifa’s old desk with a _thud_. Reports about the town, Shinra’s feeble efforts to keep the Nibelheim incident under tight wraps.

Unsurprisingly, utter distaste fell from Vincent’s mouth, his arms crossed.

“Hojo...What did you dare begin here?”


	6. Rocket Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Convincing a certain grumpy pilot to offer assistance isn't the easiest task!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, long time no update on this fic😅 Hopefully I can return to regular weekly updates, but it's still somewhat up in the air. As always, thanks for reading and for your wonderful feedback❤️
> 
> Also: Thanks so much to @Denebola_Leo for giving this chapter a look-over! You rock!

“Seriously, are you all outta your _goddamn_ _minds_?!”

Cloud snorted with arms crossed against his Soldier 1st Class sweater. “Look, you know as well as I do that it’s either us or the Shinra. So, which is it going to be?”

Vincent shook his head, punching a startled Cloud’s arm for his rude behavior. His eyes locked deadon with Cid’s. “We understand your hesitation in letting us borrow the _Tiny Bronco_. But our goal is something that goes beyond Shinra’s comprehension.”

Aerith frowned, poking her head silently out the front door. Seemed like the second attempt at convincing Cid wasn’t going well at all. Perhaps Vincent’s stoic attitude didn’t alleviate the pilot’s concerns. The former Turk wasn’t unkind, but his inhumane nature—eyes glittering like a waiting nosferatu in the moonlight—could startle the most hardened soul.

“ _Fuck_! Like _hell_ I’m letting _any of y’all_ touch my plane!”

She winced at Cid’s sharp tongue, returning to the work she had taken a small break from. Using a mortar and pestle to mash assorted Mount Nibel herbs and Costa del Sol seaweed, those fresh herbs unaffected by the Mako Reactors were given new life as Potions for their party.

* * *

The large group’s nighttime hike in the mountains lead to a welcome sight at dawn: Rocket Town. A choir of song birds tittered awake as rays of early morning sun hazily peeked against the horizon. Barret and Yuffie were especially thrilled the trip from Junon took only 3 days as the maps estimated—their feet were _killing_ them!

“Miss Shera, may I use some fresh water from your kettle?”

The scientist flashed a smile, steeping early morning tea. Tifa sat next to the kind woman, quietly sipping from her own mug. “Go right ahead. And just ‘Shera’ is fine.”

Earlier, Barret offered understanding once Cid walked in and berated Shera’s lack of promptly serving tea to their guests. “...Damn, man. What’s up with that guy’s attitude?”

Hot coffee in hand, Avalanche’s leader took the cue to excuse himself—stepping out back and eyeing the _Tiny Bronco_ while catching up with Marlene via PHS.

Aerith happily snuck in a hello to her foster mother, thankful that Elmyra had taken to Marlene quickly. As if there was another daughter in the house to dote on after Aerith’s journey of self-discovery. Thank the Planet that Palmer—who wandered to the front yard—had been too engrossed in the idea of tea and sweets to recognize Cloud!

_The Planet. Our adventure. My concerns about Cloud, and…Zack. Everything’s connected somehow, right? Where will this path lead…?_

The kettle’s abrupt whistle awakened Aerith from her unsettling reverie. An empty mug soon filled to the brim with damp green herbs and steaming liquid. “Sip it carefully.”

Tifa blinked at the cup gently pushed in front of her. She _was_ still hurting after brawling some of the nastier Makonoids that ran rampant, long escaped from Nibelheim’s facility.

Sipping the drink slowly as their spiritual healer advised, a heavy fog lifted from Tifa’s eyes, her nasal passages immediately clearing.

“W-wow, already I’m not as foggy headed! Where’d you learn to make these, Aerith?”

Aerith shrugged and smiled back at her friend. “I somehow just...knew. But the Cosmo Canyon elders _were_ extremely knowledgeable.”

“Indeed.” Nanaki sat by Aerith’s feet, allowing her to scratch underneath his chin. “If I can gain even _half_ of their wisdom throughout our journey, I’ll be satisfied.”

Shera’s eyes widened in fascination by the creature’s ability to speak. “Um, the Captain’s probably working on the rocket again. Sounds like the rest of the company’s running late.” Her gaze landed on Barret, who tiredly shut the backyard door. His eyes appeared slightly damp. “Maybe _you_ could try convincing him?”

“Suppose it’s worth a shot. I doubt Spikey and Mr. Brooding will get that guy to chill out before the Shinra arrive.” Nanaki and Cait murmured in agreement, accompanying Barret out front in solidarity.

* * *

“I still don’t get what kind of a man talks to his wife that way!” Yuffie slammed the table, causing everyone’s beverages to vibrate, before she hungrily wolfed down a cookie.

Shera silently laughed off the marriage comment, but the ninja’s frown grew deep.

“Shinra will never learn, you know.” Yuffie’s eyes and expression were bitter, oddly serious, for a girl her age. Shera nodded, kept abreast of the world news regardless of its obvious Shinra-dominated bias. It was easy to warmly accept Cloud and the others when her hometown was financially worn down by that corporation’s greed.

Tifa was unable to offer any words of comfort, her own sympathetic eyes following Barret out the door, before she shook her head and finished now cold tea. “He really misses Marlene, but I know he wants to give this his all.”

“You’re all really on a quest to save our Planet? That’s admirable.” Shera busily boiled a fresh pot of water. Blowing loose strands of hair away, in thought. “Captain Cid might be rough around the edges, but that’s something he believes in, too. His dreams of space align with protecting the Planet from above...”

“And what about you?”, Tifa questioned. Her fist clenched a simple, but pretty, locket across her neck. “You shouldn’t...continue beating yourself up over past mistakes, when there’s the present to look forward to.”

“Mh.” Shera nodded in agreement. “Just between us, I don’t believe Rufus is any better than the former president, but Rocket Town...Our hands are tied by the company’s whims. They very well might deny the Captain’s request for the space program restart.”

Tifa’s own features scrunched in utter disgust, mirroring Yuffie’s subdued rage. “They take, and take, and take...I _hate_ it!”

“But...not everyone in Shinra’s a bad person.” Aerith’s smile was gentle, an unseen reminiscence known only to herself. The flower girl’s peaceful response cooled Tifa’s more heated feelings.

“Tseng of the Turks? I mean, he let you live freely with your mom for so many years.”

“He was kind to me, too, but...” The flower girl nodded, suddenly blushing. “Actually, I was talking about my first love.”

“Must be nice.” Tifa and Yuffie found themselves dreamily sighing in unison, staring off at nothing in particular. Shera, meanwhile, laughed at quiet reflections of her own youth. Her current life with the Captain was comfortable, although Tifa and company’s genuine concern deeply touched her soul. She was so lost in thought, it only halfway registered Palmer had made a sudden beeline for their...backyard.

_Oh, dear._

Aerith was gigging at a memory which sparked curiosity within Tifa. “What’s so funny?” She shook her head before offering, “There was this one time when Zack visited me after his daily training, and...” Aerith whispered against the barmaid’s ear before the latter grew bright red.

“C’mon, Aer, what are you whispering about? You gotta spill the beans!”

The flower girl continued laughing in merriment while an oddly flustered Tifa muttered to Yuffie, “It’s not something for kids to hear!”

Before Yuffie’s scowl reached Tifa’s eyes, Cloud and the other men had stepped back in. He nodded to the group in weary greeting. It _was_ reassuring to see everyone—especially the girls—get along. The possibility of a spy in their group _was_ a very real concern, but for now...it was one he’d let slide.

“Miss Shera, we might have to use the _Bronco_. If things get messy...”

She immediate caught his meaning of a possible fight. “Since the Captain isn’t as understanding, you might try talking to Palmer?”

With all the flourish of victory after a tense battle, Cloud’s precariously resting blade reattached to the magnet on the back of his uniform. “Aerith, Vincent, let’s go.”

Aerith dusted herself off before storing spare Potions in a dress pocket, ready to join him on the potential battlefield.

“We’ll catch up. See you, Cloud.” Tifa needed a break after their mentally grueling midnight walk from Nibelheim, while Cloud needed his healer. Yuffie held back an audible yelp in remembrance of something, only quieted by Tifa’s puzzled glance.


	7. Date night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quiet reflections after a fun night at the local amusement park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uploaded via my phone, hope this chapter has no weird formatting errors😅

“Gawd, don’t give me the silent treatment now. I told you guys I’m sorry!”

Cloud had no choice but to concede with Yuffie’s apology, although the runaround they were given back in Wutai wasn’t exactly appreciated. It was Tifa who openly forgave a nervous Yuffie as they privately chatted in the hallway that night.

“It's fine. Just, uh, don't let it happen again, alright?” Something about Tifa's words sounded sad. Tired, perhaps? Cloud would have to see what was eating at her in the morning.

“...Right.” Yuffie made an audible noise of disgust by the thin walls of the Gold Saucer’s hotel hallways.

Her unpleasant encounter with Don was certainly something Cloud unfortunately sympathized with, personally recalling the sleazy man’s bedroom.

Cloud figured they were headed for bed again, probably woken up by Aerith’s earlier sneaking out that night.

“You coming, Tif? What're you staring at his door for?”

“Ahh...it's nothing.” What was Tifa stammering about? “Let's get some sleep, we've got a long way to travel tomorrow.”

Light footfalls to the girls’ room soon faded.

Tomorrow morning, Cloud knew, he'd have to tell them—while repeatedly reassuring Barret that Marlene was safe. Cait Sith was…

Despite concerns about whether or not they'd reach the Temple of the Ancients before Shinra, Cloud's thoughts drifted to other matters.

The smell of her light perfume, just like flowers—she'd always pick flowers in their travels on the road together. Her knees bumped his, taking Cloud’s hands into her own on the Gondola.

Meeting Aerith’s bright eyes and equally bright smile, he tried making sense of her blunt words, but…

_“I want to meet...you.”_

What did Aerith mean by _that_? He sat right across from her, their warm hands lightly connected.

Hopefully, Marlene was safe and Cloud could trust...whoever was on the other line of that robot’s radio. Maybe they believed in something akin to honor, despite working for a place like Shinra.

...As if _he_ was one to talk.

Mako eyes shut, a headache forming against his temples. The others mentioned he appeared to suffer from occasional mild headaches and seizures, Cloud himself had vague recollections of most.

_Hm._

_Was I supposed to kiss her, when the fireworks exploded around us?_

_Would Aerith...would she kiss me back?_

* * *

Aerith's eyes stayed on the lightly snoring Tifa and Yuffie, fast asleep in their comfortable hotel beds. She felt a little guilty her subtly leaving the room earlier still woke them up, although her promised date with Cloud had been incredibly fun.

Shifting onto her back to rest, loose hair flowing about her, Aerith gently sighed. From here on out, she'd give it her all to protect them. With Cloud and Tifa’s help, the three would uncover the secrets of the Temple. She'd unlock the mystery of her mother’s safely concealed pearl-colored Materia, and—if need be—devise a private plan to protect _him_.

His occasional freakouts were a silent concern. Yet, Cloud, as a person strangely at odds with his true self, easily managed to warm her heart in these 2 fast paced weeks. Time certainly flew by.

Zack’s...disappearance...was still a complete mystery. She bit her lip.

 _Tifa said he was_ there _, 5 years ago. Mh. It's best not to think about it._

Being the last of her race—even more so with the increasingly dangerous Sephiroth looming—death was a possibility. The congregation of souls within the Lifestream was the key to all this, that much was obvious… Her hands clasped in silence, fatigued eyes closed, before muttering a prayer of Iflana’s in a tongue otherwise foreign to her lips.

Another tomorrow granted alongside her friends was something to be cherished, but...if need be, she’d protect them. And _him_ , from whatever was Sephiroth’s ultimate goal.


	8. City of the Ancients

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parting with Aerith. 
> 
> The leader of their journey consumed with utter fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The flower girl in that new game trailer sure is nice and cute, huh💔

It was all his fault.

His ultimate failure, as the flower girl’s self-proclaimed bodyguard.

“If you hadn’t stopped me, then...”

“It wasn’t your fault, Cloud.” Chocolate-brown ends swaying, Tifa shook her head back and forth in the darkness of their meager bedroom within the Forgotten Capital.

“It all happened so fast, that  _Nobody_...could’ve...” Her voice grew smaller with each word before she grew completely silent, eyes downcast. _I’m simply trying to convince myself. I still can’t…_

Cloud sighed ever so slowly through his nose. Hands pressed into his face, his back to the bedroom wall, simply too keyed up to rest after the emotionally exhausting ordeal of Aerith’s eternal rest.

Parting with Aerith at the lake, her body reverted to gentle emerald wisps of Lifestream, a tangible symbol of one’s life cycle certainly soon to begin anew. _Did she return to the Planet so quickly because she was the final Cetra…?_

Eyelids heavy, Cloud slowly blinked at feeling softness underneath. Somehow, he had made his way to curl up atop one of the beds, with his forehead pressed into his knees.

 _If she wouldn’t have been scared off with my screw up at the Temple, choosing to take matters into her own hands, this could’ve been the start of something good. Love, maybe…? But now, I…_ we’ll _never know. Because_ I _let you die._

 _If Tifa hadn’t stopped me, then…_ Licking his lips, Cloud’s trembling fingers raked across his hair. _If only she headed home after escorting me to the Sector 6 park, none of this would’ve happened. Aerith would be safe. Still alive. Aerith…how are we going to stop Meteor without you? What was your plan to stop_ him _? Why couldn’t you have trusted me enough to say anything?_

Her fading smile as blood began trickling at the corners of her mouth, those shimmering emerald eyes that’d immediately draw you in, involuntarily closing from utterly shell-shocked sensation of Sephiroth’s blade deeply lodged within her abdomen...

 _Had_ Tseng died from Sephiroth's wounds in the Temple of the Ancients, then at least Aerith could’ve had a _proper_ protector in her next life. But now?

 _Because of_ his _control…I really am powerless, aren’t I? Even if Tifa and the others keep watch, who’s to say the next time Sephiroth is near me, that I won’t…_

Anxious, frustrated, thoughts getting the better, he shook his head to clearly take in his surroundings. Near the foot ladder that lead to the first floor of the house, by those strange glowing objects. Cloud blinked.

_Pacing unaware around the room? Great. Just another thing for Tifa to worry about._

His hand falling atop one of the glowing orbs—which seemingly floated atop the support polls—unable to meet Tifa’s eyes occasionally flickering to his back, it felt like...

He heard two _incredibly familiar_ voices, a male and female reassurance each—such thoughts abruptly drifting away into the unrecognizable consciousness of the Ancients.

A wince. “It’s no good. I can’t understand.”

“...Cloud...”

Quickly shaking his head, his focus returned to the natural wooden floors below. It’d be best to not remember that sweet flowery scent of her cold body, cradled close to his heart before being deposited into that crystal-clear moonlit lake, her taste of adventure and freedom—a lust for life overall—cut tragically short due to—

“Cloud!”

Slowly exhaling and untensing his shoulders, the Ex-Soldier forced his frustrated gaze, meeting Tifa’s glassy eyes, threatening to spill. Oddly, they didn’t narrow at Cloud’s self-deprecation.

“We’re _all_ hurting inside.”

She untangled her now trembling hand from Yuffie’s hair, the young ninja having sobbed herself to sleep against her pillow during the past half-hour. Or had it been an hour already? Tifa’s deep anger at the loss of her dear friend—to never again share a relaxing drink in peaceful Cosmo Canyon, or enjoy well-past midnight discussions of their dreams in the girl’s Tent, with chirping crickets and a starry sky their backdrop...

Tifa’s sudden emptiness ached more than words could ever describe, but channeling her anger into fuel for their journey was the only way to press onward.

“I’m...sorry.” A tired sigh escaping dry lips among a weak apology was all Cloud could manage. _He’s just…messing with me. His cruel smile after murdering Aerith…Sephiroth wants to get inside my head, I know it!_

Together, they’d find a way to stop Meteor from being summoned. Together, they’d find Sephiroth. Kill Sephiroth.

Put a stop this utter madness for good, before anymore victims—be they Shinra MPs, close friends, villagers of quiet mountain towns—were claimed. People with families and lives of their own, to be snuffed out in an instant by a quick blade...was simply unforgivable.


	9. Northern Crater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Putting an end to the _real_ Sephiroth’s plans to summon Meteor...Or so the emotionally-scarred Cloud and Tifa hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psychologically screwed up Cloud ahead (while maintaining a Teen rating), please heed the "Puppet Cloud" warning.

His dream of reaching Space would never be forgotten as a plume of smoke from the end of Cid’s cigarette rose toward the starry evening sky. Heavens mockingly close at the northernmost part of their Planet, as if he could reach out and—all too eagerly—grab them.

“Hm. Wonder if the kid’s alright?”, he muttered, exhaling again. His preferred method of keeping warm in chilly weather.

“Hard to say.”, Vincent countered with closed eyes and crossed arms. An unusual body such as his meant extreme temperatures mattered little. “Sephiroth—or so it would seem— _Jenova_ manipulating Cloud’s emotions by murdering Aerith...was incredibly cruel.”

A bitter scoff. “And now the poor girl’s dead for what senseless reason? We can’t forget Cloud’s dumbass mistake back at the Temple—”

“ _Ahem_!” Cait interrupted Cid’s understandable anger before glancing at Nanaki. Having a robot body, the cold wasn’t a problem, although his giant Moggle was plenty warm. Besides, he was busy with paperwork at Shinra HQ while Rufus and the others hurried over on the _Highwind_...Whether or not the North was truly Shinra’s Promised Land, well, he’d have to see it to believe it.

“Rufus will be arriving soon. Let’s stay on our toes, ya hear?”

Nanaki quelled his chest growing with pride, happy to be entrusted with something as important as the Black Materia. “We _can’t_ let Shinra get their hands on it. Sephiroth is already troublesome enough.”

“Yeah, yeah, we won’t.” Yuffie offered despite her chattering teeth. “Nanaki, Cait, would either of you mind if I huddled up close?” She sneezed for emphasis. “My years of training didn’t prepare me for _this_ crap!”

Cid rolled his eyes. “Would you quit your damn bitchin’ for 5 minutes, kid? You’ll adjust!”

“S-shut it! I don’t wanna hear that from an old geezer like you!”

“Enough bickering.” Emotions cool and collected as usual, Vincent kept suspicions of Cait’s true identity to himself. “Cait and Nanaki make excellent points. If Cloud and the others have any trouble up ahead, we must remain vigilant.”

* * *

“I’ve just about had it with all these ‘llusions!” Barret shook his head. “That fire felt too real to handle. Bad memories of Corel.” He attempted to keep his bearings straight within this weird illusionary storm as best as he could, frowning deep. _Gotta keep calm. Tifa ain’t lookin’ all that hot, considering._ He sighed. _Who_ are _you, Spiky?_

“I have a feelin’ the exit’s just up ahead.” The magically-summoned wind’s resistant nature caused a wincing Barret to walk forward one slow step at a time, shielding his eyes with his heavy gun-arm.

Swallowing as the wind whipped about her long ponytail, Tifa nodded, also blocking her face with her arms. Already at her emotional breaking point, she was unable to fully believe in his kind reassurance.

Suddenly, silence.

“Barret?!” Tifa looked back as terror seized her heart. Her friend had been lost to those growing pitch-black thunderstorms and fierce winds.

“Damn it!” In response, her fists began aching for a fight. To make that monster feel 5 years of bottled up hurt and anger—freshly opened with Aerith’s untimely passing.

“ _He’s_ close, again...Stay on your guard, Cloud.”

“Got it. And...Barret’s safe.” Cloud stood back to back with his old neighbor, sword drawn and boots firmly planted. He shook his head. “Look, just don’t worry about anymore of these stupid tricks.” His teeth grit in anger.

“We’re all going to make it out of here alive.”

* * *

“Why...can’t I remember? I’m...I’m...”

Cloud stood. Had he fallen from a great height? Something about...clutching his head, falling to his knees, out of shock? Out of shock from _what_?

After rising to his feet, he was suddenly unafraid, unperturbed, at supposed abrupt mental failings. At Sephiroth’s illusions of his  _not_ returning to Nibelheim.

_Joining…Soldier, huh?_

A nod, as if the overly confident young man who arrived at Tifa’s 7th Heaven one early December day had _never_ been mentally weakened by taxing circumstances, such as the death of a beloved friend.

“That's right...I didn't have to worry about it, because I was...”

Nanaki was still far behind with the rest of the group, safely guarding the Black Materia. He could be trusted, Cloud knew, but...

 _Why_ was Cloud surrounded in utter darkness? Why...was...only Tifa now by his side? Where had Barret disappeared to? They could _really_ use his fire power with Sephiroth still up ahead!

After Sephiroth’s tricks of Nibelheim ablaze and that _laughably fake_ dark-haired 1st Class ~~friendly, confident, Cloud’s ideal,~~ there was simply no telling just how far Sephiroth’s dangerous manipulations would go.

Tifa next to him appeared visibly...depressed? Disturbed? She was shaking her head back and forth, tears were prickling the corners of her downcast eyes.

“Please, just  _don’t_ think anymore.”

 _Tears?_  He blinked through a dry mouth. _Why…tears?_

“...Tifa...”

Maybe...just maybe, he could make things right, despite whatever troubled her. Maybe he wasn’t as big of a utter screw up as he felt. Aerith’s easily preventable death was his own sin to bear. Smiling bitterly, Cloud was beginning to somewhat understand Vincent’s personal struggles.

Pulling Tifa in close, her chilled skin and coffee-infused scent from their long journey through the snowy mountains was simply intoxicating. Her body was surprisingly soft regardless of especially firm abs and legs. Smirking, he openly gawked at her chest.

Sniffling, Tifa buried her head into his chest, wrapping her arms around his slightly muscular shoulders. Comforting.

**_“_ _W_ _hat’s wrong?”_ **

A blink. That...wasn’t Cloud’s voice. No. _That_ man’s laughter.

“We can’t...stay trapped here forever, Cloud.” Frowning, she overcame her bashful feelings and irritation at these mind games by maintaining her composure.

“Mh? I’m fine, Tifa. Let’s hurry.”

Scanning the overwhelming darkness, she nodded while gently breaking away from his embrace. She mentally mapped out a direction to travel towards, when Cloud’s hand tightly clamped her wrist.

“Tifa!”

His smile was utterly cold, Mako-infused green eyes glittering and catlike. **_“...What’s the rush?”_ **

_No! Cloud isn’t some puppet to be treated like garbage._ Tifa glared at the familiar projection who silently laughed above Cloud’s frame before disappearing.

Wincing, Cloud fell to his knees, clutching his own head.

Again.

“Shut up...iroth.” Oh. One of his headaches. He was struggling to speak with his own voice, without any ‘help’ from Jenova.

Tifa bit her lip. “Another headache, Cloud?” Her voice brimming with kindness, she squatted to be eye level with her childhood friend. “You can hear my voice...Can’t you?”

Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead. To his credit, the young man managed a nod through gritted teeth.

“Then, tell me.” The back of her gloved hand soothingly wiped away his traces of sweat. “Tell me what you need right now.” She frowned. “You’re definitely pent up.”

Swirling darkness around them wouldn’t dissuade her heart. Not when he needed her.

“...You...”

Tifa...must’ve misheard him.

Curiously, her thoughts drifted to their moments of rest. While lounging at an inn, she’d—shyly—catch his subtle approving glances at her large breasts and well-defined legs...

Of course, any attraction _had_ to have been superficial. It was Aerith he truly desired and longed for. Aerith, who died in a noble effort to protect them. Not a disgusting woman like herself, her hands permanently blood-stained with innocent lives. If only Aerith were still here. To heal his shattered mind and offer whatever prayers, whatever healing magic, she attempted on the altar to prevent Sephiroth’s machinations.

Exhaling slowly through her nose, she nodded to herself. She’d do this. For him. If it would take his mind away from such anguish and help him refocus, then...

Shifting to a more comfortable position along the misty ground with legs stretched out, she smiled.

“Hey, Cloud? C-Close your eyes, okay?” The confidence in her own voice wasn’t exactly convincing, she felt, before one of her skirt suspenders loosely dangled against her thigh.

His eyes met hers. Why was he trembling, too? “Tif...? Come on, you don’t...I mean.” In that brief moment, his eyes were clear. Normal.

Romantic feelings for him simply didn’t matter, now willing to give up almost anything for Cloud to return to his _true_ self. That awkward neighbor she fuzzily remembered, due to the passage of time. His lousy attitude problem during their adventure simply wasn’t _him_.

Not the same Cloud, that next door neighbor she remembered watching the stars with one chilly night.

So, why was he blushing as hard as she was, after he pulled her into a tight hug? His body naturally responding to a beautiful woman caught Tifa off guard, his obvious erection brushing against her thigh.

Dismay filled her heart, noticing Cloud’s catlike, green, eyes. Again. Smirking, his fingers roughly tangled into her hair while a startled gasp escaped her lips. Tifa’s heart thudded so loudly that certainly Cloud heard.

_“...What's wrong, Tifa? I told you before, right? As long as we know that it's just an illusion, there's no need to be scared.”_

His words, mere moments ago. Everything that transpired since was ‘thanks’ to Jenova’s abilities—the heat of Nibelheim’s flames while Zack attended to the victims—resulting in Cloud’s current disillusionment. She was at a complete loss with how to help. Keep him blind to the truth concerning 5 years ago? That sort of dishonesty would only work so well when Sephiroth could interfere at any given moment.

“Grk.”

Tifa gasped at his strange utterance, suddenly narrowing her eyes in bitter awareness about his abrupt mental shift.

The piercing white noise filling his ears was something Tifa could never begin to comprehend. Hazy vision heavy, “the noise” gradually morphed into a soothing female foreigner; a familiar friend in recent lonely months.

Something that Tifa could never  _begin_ to understand.

* * *

Cloud.

His name...His _own_ name.

But, he was never given a number! Professor Hojo never—!

“No...number.”

Drowsily opening his eyes, he winced, a sharp pain coming from somewhere in his skull. He blacked out? _What…happened? Did Seph—Wait. Tifa?_

Tifa stood nearby, wiping her hands—hair and palms equally damp with sweat—against her somewhat torn and heavily dirtied skirt. _If Cloud’s so far gone, then_ I _…_

Sephiroth's words were nothing but lies. Manipulating Cloud so easily _had_ to have been. Even if her childhood friend _was_ that mentally weak, she stayed by his side for good reason.

_“I want to take you back to your real self. The one who gave me the Black Materia that day...Who would have ever thought a failed experiment would prove so useful?”_

To guide Cloud back to reality. _Ooh_ , the next time she saw _him_ , her foot would be shoved so far up Sephiroth’s—

_“Hmm...Shall I show everyone here what's in your heart?”_

How _dare_ he. Really. To use her love for Cloud like this. Then...why couldn’t she nor Cloud sense his presence in such an illusion? Were they truly alone, together?

“... _ **Ti**_ fa...?” In silence, she seemingly recognized that pure fear in his voice. _Something…happened?_

A flash of hazy memories: his fists and feet relentless towards Aerith—utterly shocked, her midsection—that man silently laughed with Cloud uncaring, had bruises remained. Before Tifa knocked the blonde out cold, back into Reality.

In _that_ moment, he just wasn’t himself. And now? Aerith was dead. His apology within the dream connecting them probably fell on deaf ears. She probably went to her grave hating him. _I should've burned in the fire, back then._

“Ti ** _fa_** , please!” ~~_But, Aerith…she never blamed you._~~ Unreachable thoughts.

Something about that raw fear in his corrupt eyes—flickering between heavily Mako-infused green and his genuine clear blue with specks of Mako—frightened Tifa more than anything else. Still silent, her fists continued to ache. She and Cloud were already worse for the wear, dirty and exhausted simply from scaling the snowy mountains before witnessing the tragedy that befell those 12 Sephiroth Copies.

Did he intend to remain trapped in his self-made illusion, hiding from the truth she’d been too frightened to admit these past 2 and a half weeks?

 _Sorry, Cloud._ Swallowing the lump in her throat, ignoring her fatigue, keeping quiet about personal fears, Tifa’s eyes grew moist in sudden realization. _None of this...matters anymore, does it? None of it._

Even if Cloud wasn’t the same young man from Nibelheim, even if—hypothetically—he was nothing than a Sephiroth Copy, _this_ Cloud still managed to capture her heart in such a way that...

 _“Cloud...Don't blame Tifa. The ability to change one's looks, voice, and words, is the power of Jenova. Inside of you, Jenova has merged with Tifa's memories, creating you._ _Out of Tifa's memory.....A boy named Cloud might've just been a part of them.”_

 _No._ Tifa shook her head. _That’s a lie! Sephiroth’s been mentally breaking Cloud_ _this_ entire _time. Murdering Aerith in front of us was just one part._

“Hey, Tifa? Did...something happen, just now?” He blinked, his clear eyes fluttering open to meet hers. Blue tinted with green, glowing in the darkness.

“......” With Tifa’s back turned, she remained silent.

Regardless of the reason for his freshly aching head, Cloud certainly didn’t need Sephiroth's mental tricks to tell him his true—frankly selfish—desire right in front of him. Admitting something like that, to somebody like Tifa who deserved far better than an utter lowlife like himself...A lowlife who could never protect anyone, who never made it into Soldier, who—in truth—was too pathetic to even be given a number in Hojo’s labs.

 _Bastards, all of them._ He clenched a shaking fist. “I’m...really sorry, Miss Tifa.” And now, with his head so......He bitterly smiled—a given—due to the countless self-denials he pulled in the past hour alone.

“...Cloud?”

Their warm fingers interlacing amidst a wintery chill, Cloud firmly grasped Tifa’s hand. The ex-Soldier(...?) shook his head in reply, weak smile playing about his lips.

**_Come to me, Cloud. Let our Reunion begin._ **

“Let’s go, Tifa. I’m...I’m all right.”

Neither aware of that despised man's further manipulations, all Hell about to break loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Japanese, once Cloud completely loses his sense of self and apologizes to everybody including Tifa, he refers to her as "Tifa-san" (Miss Tifa). I thought that was a nice "keeping distance" touch I wanted to reflect. He might use that somewhere in the Lifestream sequence too, but I haven't checked the Japanese script in awhile.


	10. Mideel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa Lockhart’s joyous reunion with the _real_ Cloud Strife.

“Uh...aaa...?”

Tifa shook her head back and forth, sitting on her knees in front of Cloud with a clenched hand atop his lap. The other hand offered a soothing circular motion against the denim covering his knee. Her tears had long dried, ever since they found him here in Mideel a few days ago.

There was simply no way to change their cruel reality.

“It’s alright, Cloud.” _If…you can even hear me._ Tifa bit her lip. _Why didn’t I work up the courage to tell you the truth? Now, everything’s a mess._

The Mideel clinic’s nurse just sighed, nervous eyes glancing up from her clipboard. The doctor was busy examining a patient in another room. Strange occurrences like the recent Lifestream tremors, and that bizarre Meteor in the sky meant an influx of patients were sick with worry regarding the Planet’s future. _She’ll push herself too hard, again. Those bags under her eyes are a concern._

The nurse cleared her throat, calling out into the patient room with the open door.

“Ms. Lockhart?”

“Hm?” She slowly turned her head, cocking it to the side in puzzlement. Stifling an obvious yawn.

“Mr. Strife will be getting his daily checkup, soon.” A hesitant pause. “Why don’t you take your mind off things and sight-see our town a little? Window shop, maybe?”

Tifa slowly shook her head with that same measure of fatigue, offering a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. It was...sad. “I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

The nurse shook her head in silent protest, as if to say, _Suit yourself._ She returned to filing paperwork, a gentle hum of an overhead fan and Cloud’s oxygen machine the only sounds in that otherwise quiet building. The winter season mattered little when you lived in a warm resort town similar to Costa del Sol.

Gently maneuvering Cloud’s wheelchair closer, Tifa dabbed away drool collecting in the corners of his lips with a fresh hand towel. His Mako-tinted eyes were hazy, muttering a serious question to something unseen: “...What...what number...am I...?”

“Cloud. You’re not...” Another shake of her head, voice growing gentle, eyes on the wooden floorboards. “You...can’t be. Right?” She couldn’t bring herself to believe the fake smile forcefully plastered against her lips. _What if the real Cloud_ did _die somewhere along the way since 7 years ago? But…would an impostor, this Sephiroth copy, honestly change my feelings?_

“Hey, Sis, how's he doin’?”

Tifa looked up to see Cid, Barret and Yuffie at the door of Cloud’s private room, all three offering smiles of reassurance.

Her own smile shifted from fatigued to truly thankful. “Same as always.”

“Here!” An oddly serious Yuffie unceremoniously pushed past both men, hurriedly shoving something small and plastic-wrapped into Tifa's hands. A freshly wrapped sandwich. “From the corner store down the street.” She continued, grinning, “Your Chocobo head won't get any better unless you take care of _yourself_ first! Next visit, I'll bring you some freshly baked treats from Wutai.”

“Looking forward to it.” Tifa genuinely laughed before slowly biting into her ham and cheese sandwich, ignoring her growling belly to savor the most delicious meal she had in the past few days. Stubbornly at Cloud’s side whether his condition would worsen or improve, she didn’t want to miss a single minute.

“Yo, Tifa.” Barret grunted with his arms crossed, clicking his tongue in disapproval. “It's fine if you wanna look after Cloud’s spiky ass, but Yuffie’s right!”

Her cherry-cola eyes were on the verge of tears, the young woman’s self doubt and private concerns an equally overwhelming presence. “It's fine.”, her voice quivered in-between delicate bites of her simple lunch. “I'll do whatever I can to help Cloud recover.”

“Well. You gotta do you, Sis.” Cid sighed in awkward defeat, scratching the back of his head. He lowered his voice before leaning in to whisper, “Shinra shouldn't bother us for a little while since we borrowed their Huge Materia.”

The mention of Materia didn’t stir her usual excitement,  Yuffie sympathetically watching the vacant eyed Cloud. An oxygen machine attached to his wheelchair occasionally hummed, in a futile effort to expunge his completely Mako-overloaded brain. Her tiny crush on the supposed cool and collected Ex-Soldier faded with their current concerns of Shinra, and the Weapons. _Weird. Did joining this crazy resistance group help me grow up a little?_

The young ninja giggled in delight; that puppy Tifa recently befriended was licking her ankle. “Aww, too bad we can’t keep this little guy on the _Highwind_!”

“Eh, he’d just crap all over the place if we did!” Cid grunted despite the smile on his face, staring at the adorable yelping dog excitedly wagging his tail. _Hm, maybe…_

Cloud’s doctor now sitting at his front desk appeared grim, gesturing for Cid to come over. “I'm sorry...But your friend's condition remains unchanged...You'll have to be patient and wait this out. These things take time. Just like fine wine, time is of the essence.”

Cid nodded. “Yeah.” _You’re sayin’ there’s not a damn thing we can do, right?_

The lone nurse of the clinic frowned, unsure how to begin. “She's finally beginning to look a little tired...I hope she's all right. No change in his condition, and still she stays there doing her best. It must be tough on her. If she keeps this up she'll probably get sick......”

“That’s what we’re worried about.” Barret, next to Cid, offered a concerned glance towards Cloud’s room behind them. _And what if Spiky really_ is _nothin’ more than Sephiroth's shadow?_

“A billion mirror fragments......small......light......taken...... angel's......singing voices........Xeno......gears......Uh...... aaa......?”

“This isn’t funny anymore, Cloud!” Tifa visibly flinched at Yuffie’s frustrated, heart-broken, exasperation. Was the teenager about to cry?

Her head bowed in defeat, Tifa found herself staring at the floor, unable to make anymore sense of any of this. “......It's no use.....I don't understand a thing, Cloud. What should I do......? What if you never recover for the rest of your life?”

An earthquake disturbed Tifa’s depressive thoughts, sending her flat on her butt before she steadied Cloud’s wheelchair in front of her. “Eyaaah!?”

Cid grit his teeth, immediately rushing outside with Barret and Yuffie to investigate. “Damn. What the hell's goin' on!?”

* * *

“...They’re...they’re...coming...!!”

“No way......Is this......!?”

As the tremors continued worsening, Tifa bit her lip. Cloud’s physician already agreed his taking refuge in a wide open space was probably safer. _But...the chaos outside_ must _be Weapon. Are Cid and the others really okay?_

“Don’t you worry about a thing, Cloud...I’ll see to it you get somewhere safe!” Bending down to be eye level with her childhood friend—in their shared brief moment, a recognition of genuine panic flickered across his face—Tifa readjusted his wheelchair in preparation.

“No, the structure can’t take it! Hurry!”, the doctor’s frantic voice sounded so far away from the office, only one room over.

“Yes! Ready, Cloud? We’re leaving now!!” Despite the confident bravado in her words, Tifa hurriedly began pushing Cloud’s wheelchair outside. Her anxious eyes locking with Mideel’s doctor and nurse, sprawled about the office while hanging onto whatever heavy furniture they could for dear life. She mouthed a _Please keep safe!_ which both nodded in agreement to.

Tifa and Cloud crossed the threshold head-on, greeting the disaster of the Lifestream gushing below, wrecking devastation on an otherwise peacefully quiet hot springs town. It would seem Ultima Weapon was the least of everyone’s worries.

Tifa, hurrying along with her dear friend fast as she could, simply wasn’t quick enough. The ground below them gave way, the pair falling into the murky depths, swallowed up by the shockingly harsh green of the Lifestream.

* * *

_I was devastated…I wanted to be noticed._

_“I was devastated...I wanted to be noticed. I thought if I got stronger, I could get someone to notice...”_

_“Someone to notice you...? ...Who?”_

_Who…? ……You know who! …You, that’s who._

_“You...”_

The truth about Cloud’s past, and other surprising revelations exchanged between them left former next door neighbors wracked with utter guilt; not only sudden shyness towards each other. Cloud’s true self was no longer locked away, patiently waiting, in the depths of his subconscious.

 _If only I remembered those fuzzy childhood memories sooner._ Tifa’s guilt of the past—coupled with numerous lives perished in the Reactor 1 bombing, and Shinra’s Sector 7 attack—were more failings she could never let go of. _At least I understand Zack’s feelings; wanting to be there for Cloud’s recovery from Mako poisoning. I still can’t believe Cloud went through it twice._

 _If only…I didn’t forget about Zack. Because he protected me, he’s now…_ Aerith’s death already weighed heavily on Cloud’s mind. And now...another lost, inconceivably forgotten, friend. _How could they ever forgive the real me for such a sin?_

“...Cloud?”, Tifa slowly began, standing on the deck of the _Highwind_ after Cloud’s revelations to the others. “I think...right now, stopping Meteor is the only way we can be forgiven.” If she was the more cheerful sort like Zack or Aerith, she’d playfully ruffle his hair in reassurance. But that behavior simply wasn’t in her character.

Checking in on the ruined Mideel, the seemingly safe citizens were moreso unhappy about having to now rebuild their lives. Unfortunate that it was, Meteor was the Planet’s immediate concern. Cloud was quietly thankful his former caretakers in the nurse and doctor were safe and sound. The nurse’s sage advice currently rang within his mind, when a wide-eyed and blushing Tifa stood next to him.

_“You probably don’t remember, but you know that girl that watched over you for so long when you were sick? You’d better take care of her. If you don’t, you’ll be sorry. Believe you me!”_

“I think so, too.” Eyes shut in an effort to soothe his queasy stomach, Cloud nodded in agreement. The crisp late afternoon air and vast sky somewhat relieved his renewed motion sickness—maybe Yuffie could join him up deck sometime, and he could offer her advice. “But, I’m glad...” He’d have to choose his words carefully, hoping his faintly blushing cheeks weren’t incredibly obvious. “That we don’t have to go it alone.”

Her smile warm, she huddled near Cloud’s arm to snuggle against him. To her quiet delight, Cloud shuffled about, pulling her into a tight hug. “Thank you, Tifa.”

The humble brawler of their group was about to protest that really, she didn’t do much, Cloud did all the heavy lifting of recovering his memories alone, when Cloud’s lips gently pressed against her forehead. Tifa’s light red cheeks now positively burned. Each other’s souls laid bare within the Lifestream left them mild feelings of embarrassment alongside new shyness.

Yet they remained embraced in comfortable silence together, waiting to arrive in Junon.

_Hm, should Yuffie and Tifa both come with, if we’ll have to hijack a submarine?_

Cloud couldn’t help but silently laugh in self-deprecation, at the mental image of himself and Yuffie bouncing around the bridge from annoying stomachaches that would certainly plague them. Yuffie, no doubt, would complain for them to _“Please hurry up~”_ , with Tifa as Cloud’s eternal cheerleader. Always there to offer her best friend sincere words of encouragement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge resource in this fic was http://www.yinza.com/Fandom/Script.html 's awesome script and resources like this via TheLifestream.Net: https://thelifestream.net/lifestream-projects/translations/2075/early-material-file-scenarios-and-scripts-p-527-528-of-the-final-fantasy-vii-ultimania-omega/
> 
> Either this weekend or the next, I hope to finish and upload Part 2 (🔞 Under the _Highwind_ high affection route) so please look forward to that!
> 
> Part 3 of this series is already here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15558501
> 
> Thank you so much for all your lovely Comments and Kudos regarding my multichapter VII fic😄


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